Former Vice President and flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has reaffirmed that his commitment to serving the country is the motive behind his pursuit of the flagbearership, and not a desire to amass wealth for himself.

The Party is set to host its presidential primaries in January 2026; hence, ahead of that, the former Vice President, as part of his campaign, embarked on a four-day campaign tour in the Western Region, visiting the Amenfi East, Amenfi West, and Amenfi Central Constituencies.

In an address to some party faithfuls in the constituency, Dr Bawumia emphasised that his record in public service demonstrates his commitment to integrity, efficiency, and the prudent use of national resources.

Taunting his competence in managing finances and cutting waste, the former vice president referred to the time when the Mobile Money Interoperability project was first initiated, the NDC had proposed a contract worth 1.2 billion dollars, highlighting how his outfit delivered excellently on the same project at just less than half of the proposed budget presented by the then National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia stated, “Let me remind you that when we initiated the Mobile Money Interoperability project, the NDC had proposed a contract worth 1.2 billion dollars. We cancelled that deal and instead completed the entire project for just 4.5 million dollars.”

This initiative, he taunted ,has greatly benefited Ghanaians and created thousands of jobs. Dr Bawumia said his satisfaction comes from seeing how the initiatives have positively impacted lives across the country. The former Vice President urged delegates in Amenfi West and across Ghana to support his bid to lead the NPP in 2028.

Meanwhile, Dr Bawumia picked the third spot on the party’s ballot as part of the aspirants for the flagbearership position of the party.

The exercise conducted on Friday, October 10, was to determine who takes which number on the ballot paper ahead of the presidential election on January 31, 2026.

So far, Kwabena Agyepong, former Vice President and 2024 Presidential Candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, former Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, and former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, have been cleared to campaign.

Former MP for Assin Central picked the first spot, and Dr Bryan Acheampong picked the second position, and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia took the third position. Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum and Kwabena Agyepong 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 the many individuals who advised 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 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 them, 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.”

Late last week, Asante Akim South Member of Parliament, Hon. Kwaku Asante Boateng, speaking during an interview with Adom TV in late October, described the NPP presidential aspirant and former Vice President Dr Bawumia as an “alien” and “a stranger” within the NPP during a live interview on Adom TV in late October 2025.

He noted that the former Vice President’s candidacy is causing rifts in the party. In response to this, the party has issued a statement dated November 1 and signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua, dissociating itself from the MP’s remarks, highlighting its commitment to “inclusivity, equality, and national cohesion”.

The statement read, “The National Secretariat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has noted with concern certain comments attributed to the Honourable Member of Parliament for Asante Akim South, Hon. Kwaku Asante Boateng, and considers such a statement unfortunate and disassociates itself from those remarks. The NPP reiterates its longstanding commitment to inclusivity, equality, and national cohesion”.

It continued that the party was open to welcome any Ghanaian who believes in its principles, ideologies and is committed to upholding the democracy of the country and ensuring national development, citing that NPP’s most valued assets in members are not defined by their personal attributes but by their loyalty, commitment and service to the party and the country as a whole.

“As a political tradition founded on the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, and equal opportunity, the Party remains dedicated to fostering a society where every Ghanaian, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or social background, can participate meaningfully in the governance and development of our nation. The Party emphasises that political membership and recognition within the NPP are not defined by personal attributes or identity, but by one's loyalty, commitment, and service to the Party's ideals and the national interest”, the statement continued.

It added that, in light of this, the NPP, therefore, welcomes all citizens who subscribe to its core values and principles and are willing to contribute to the advancement of Ghana's democratic and developmental agenda.

“As a Party of unity and progress, the NPP assures the Ghanaian people that it will continue to uphold the dignity of every citizen and to promote a political culture anchored in tolerance, respect, and inclusiveness”, it concluded.