It was a festival of blue, white and red in Kumasi as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) converged for its National Delegates Conference to elect new national executives to steer the party to the 2028 elections.

Addressing the conference, the party's 2028 presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, set the tone for unity and peace, urging all aspirants contesting for national offices to put the party first after the polls.

Dr. Bawumia described Kumasi and the Ashanti Region as the heart of the NPP, which has stood with the party in good times and hard times.

"When our tent needed holding up, Ashanti was one of the pillars that held us up. On behalf of every member of our party, I say medaase for the belief, continuous support and the great reception," he said.

He paid glowing tribute to Acting National Chairman Danquah Smith Buttey, who he said stepped forward and steadied the ship at a difficult moment after the 2024 election loss, leading with calmness and loyalty.

He also paid tribute to former Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Chairman Wontumi, for his years of dedicated service and sacrifice, and to National Chairman Stephen Ayesu Ntim, from grassroots to the highest office.

Remembering the party's forebears, he mentioned former presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, saying their social interventions like NHIS, School Feeding and Free SHS will never be forgotten, and the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition that taught that freedom, enterprise and rule of law are foundations of prosperity.

On the internal contest, he said: "Ours is a party that exchanges views, and compete, sometimes fiercely. But when we are done, we allow the principles of democracy to prevail."

"Forty-seven of our members have offered themselves for nine national offices... Whatever the outcome, the depth of talent on display tells Ghana that the NPP is not short of leaders," he said.

He urged peace: "When the voting is done today, the contest must also end. To those who win: the first hug and call you make should be to your fellow aspirants. And to those who do not win, this party still needs you. There is work for all of us. Let us vote in peace, accept the results in good faith and leave Kumasi as one family."

The road to 2028

Dr. Bawumia said since December 2024, the party has listened to Ghanaians in markets, streets, farms, offices and campuses and learnt lessons in managing the party, communicating, and treating grassroots loyalists better.

He said the decision to hold early presidential primaries, which saw him elected at the beginning of the year, was already paying off with policy committees and stakeholder engagements underway.

"We will not wait for the campaign to start thinking about how to govern. The work is already underway," he assured, adding that the 2029 governance programme will win hearts.

He closed with a rallying call: "We came to Kumasi as a party that has listened and learnt. Let us leave Kumasi as a party that is united and ready... the NPP is back at work for Ghana. God bless the New Patriotic Party. God bless our homeland Ghana. Kukrudu!"