Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has emphasized that former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia cannot be held responsible for economic woes experienced during the Akufo-Addo-led administration.

Speaking to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) delegates, Adwoa Safo argued that other key officials under the New Patriotic Party (NPP), particularly former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, played a role in the mismanagement of the economy.

According to her, Dr. Bawumia had no authority to counter or reverse decisions taken by the top leadership of government. She further urged the NPP delegates to throw their support behind Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as they gear up for the party’s presidential election on January 31, 2026.

“Was Dr. Bawumia the finance minister? Were we not in government when some MPs said that because of the way our economy was being mismanaged, we should change the finance minister? Didn’t he damage everything before he was changed? So how can we blame this on Bawumia? He was only the driver’s mate and could not overrule the driver, even if the driver was not performing well,” she said.

Meanwhile, flagbearer aspirant for the New Patriotic Party, Kennedy Agyapong, has picked the first spot on the party’s just concluded ballot. Dr. Bryan Acheampong picked the second position, while Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia took the third position. Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum and Kwabena Agyepong picked the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, officially filed his nomination forms on Tuesday, August 26. Party executives received the nomination forms from former Assin Central MP and presidential hopeful, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, on Wednesday, August 27.

Former Food and Agriculture Minister, Bryan Acheampong, has also filed his nomination forms.

In the meantime, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has received strong backing from 268 former Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), who paid him a visit in June to pledge their support.

Former Energy Minister and running mate of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 presidential candidate, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has decided to throw his weight behind Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia ahead of the party’s presidential primaries in 2026.

In an interview on Asempa FM on August 26, the former minister noted that he remains grateful to the former Vice President, who decided to make him his running mate despite many individuals advising him to do otherwise.

According to Dr. Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as Napo, Dr. Bawumia was engaged countless times by some bigwigs in the party to pick someone else to be his running mate.

“I am not ungrateful. Look at this big party, and upon all the people who were praying for the running mate slot, he ignored all of them and made me his running mate.

“I know it was a difficult situation, but a lot of people don’t know. Some bigwigs in the party went to Dr. Bawumia to tell him not to make me the running mate, but he ignored them. There are some names that if I mentioned, you would be shocked. Some even took him to offices to advise him against me, but still he chose me,” he remarked.

He thus said, “So, I cannot be ungrateful to him… For those who stood in the flagbearership contest, everyone knows Kennedy Agyapong is my friend, but I am still for Bawumia.”

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has made room for new additions to its already approximately 220,000 delegates eligible to vote in its presidential primaries slated for Saturday, January 31, next year.

In a statement dated August 26, signed and shared by the Secretary of the Presidential Elections Committee, Williams Yamoah, the party announced that registration has been opened for an additional 60,000 new delegates, including nineteen new categories of people.

This directive follows reforms adopted at the party’s National Annual Delegates Conference held in Accra on Saturday, July 19.The statement explained: “In accordance with Article 13(1)(11) of the Constitution of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and pursuant to the motion on transitional provisions adopted at the National Annual Delegates Conference held in Accra on Saturday, July 19, 2025, the following new categories of party officials and dignitaries have been included in the upcoming presidential primary voter register.”

The updated voter register, also known as the party album, will now include several new categories of officials and dignitaries. These include all former regional and constituency executives, members of the National Council of Elders, 30 members of the National Council of Patrons, all past national officers, former party-card-bearing MPs and parliamentary candidates, as well as former party-card-bearing ministers and deputy ministers.

Other groups added are external branch executives, former external branch executives, and key members of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON), including presidents of recognised institutions, the National TESCON Coordinator, regional coordinators, and one TESCON patron from each institution.

Additionally, 10 members from each Regional Council of Elders, 10 patrons from each region, and five members and patrons from each constituency have also been included.

The statement directed that “all officers that fall under the categories above are requested to register their names with their respective organisational structures, including the National Secretariat, Regions, Constituencies, and External Branches, as applicable, with immediate effect.”

To make the registration process easier, the statement clarified that a digital link would be circulated to External Branch Executives for online registration. All other qualified members were advised to liaise with their respective regions and constituencies to register.

However, the forms are to be accessed via the party’s official website. “The registration form may be downloaded from the Party's official website. For ease of reference, a sample copy is hereby attached,” excerpts of the statement read.

The statement further warned that registration was strictly for the aforementioned categories of people, with a deadline set for Friday, September 19.

“The deadline for registration is Friday, September 19, 2025. Please be advised that this registration exercise is exclusively open to officers and members who meet the aforementioned criteria. The Presidential Elections Committee shall undertake a comprehensive verification and validation of the party's album to ensure that only an authentic and credible register is used for the conduct of the presidential election.

“We count on your usual cooperation and adherence to this directive in furtherance of the party's commitment to fairness, inclusiveness, and transparency,” the party cautioned.

The NPP is on a journey of reset, reinforcement, and healing following its historic defeat in the 2024 elections. Dr. Bawumia lost the 2024 presidential election, with John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) securing 6,328,397 valid votes, representing 56.55%, against Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s 4,657,304 votes, representing 41.61%.

Since the beginning of the year, the party has undertaken several reforms to position itself strongly against its main opponent, the NDC, and to recapture power.

Among these reforms is the abolition of the electoral college in favour of a broader base of delegates. The party has also added 19 new delegate categories and granted amnesty to suspended members.

The National Council decided during an emergency meeting held on July 25. In a statement dated August 16 and signed by the Acting National Chairman of the party, Mr. Danquah Smith Buttey, members were informed that, as part of measures to ensure unity and cooperation, all banned members had been given the right to return.

“This measure reflects the party's unwavering commitment to fostering internal cohesion, strengthening solidarity, and preparing collectively for the political tasks ahead. I write to inform you that the National Council, at its emergency meeting held on Friday, July 25, 2025, resolved, in the interest of unity and reconciliation, to grant a general amnesty to all party members who have been suspended or whose disciplinary cases are currently pending before the appropriate disciplinary bodies,” parts of the statement read.

The party further urged all relevant bodies, including Regional and Constituency Executive Committees, to reinstate suspended members in accordance with laid-down rules and guiding principles.

“We hereby serve notice that this directive lifts all such suspensions and nullifies any ongoing proceedings against affected members,” the statement added.

However, the party clarified that this recall does not apply to members who wilfully forfeited their membership. In such cases, individuals wishing to return are required to submit a formal reinstatement request to the party’s secretariat. Upon acceptance, a two-year ban will be imposed, preventing them from contesting in any internal elections.