An Appeal to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia: Reconsider Your Candidacy! – Jennifer Oppong

Kennedy Agyapong’s campaign team member Jennifer Oppong has advised former vice president Mahamadu Bawumia to withdraw from the NPP presidential candidacy race to protect his legacy and the party’s unity. In a thought-provoking piece shared on his Facebook page, Jennifer Oppong said Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia has outlived his usefulness in Ghana’s politics and hence should retire peacefully as a statesman.

She pointed that Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia’s 71-point economic critique of the Mahama-led administration positioned him as a formidable intellectual force, often overshadowing then-Vice President Dr. Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur. Bawumia’s humility, northern heritage, and Islamic faith complemented Akufo-Addo’s incorruptible image and broadened the NPP’s appeal — even in traditionally NDC strongholds like the Volta Region.

However, it was also widely known that Dr. Bawumia, though chair of the Economic Management Team, was never fully in charge. While the government delivered key initiatives such as Free SHS and other pro-poor policies, the negative trends quickly began to pile up: The cedi’s value plummeted, inflation soared, excessive borrowing ballooned the national debt, punitive taxes hit ordinary Ghanaians, the IMF became a last resort, corruption and opulence among appointees became rampant, and governance institutions like the Judiciary, Electoral Commission, and security services were seen as compromised.

Galamsey ravaged our environment despite countless promises, while the National Cathedral project epitomized waste and misplaced priorities. Dissatisfaction even spread within the party: internal dissent was silenced, prominent voices expelled, primary processes manipulated, and once-loyal MPs marginalized for speaking out.

Despite all this, Dr. Bawumia went on to secure the NPP’s flagbearership — but at what cost? He now bears the burden of defending a government widely seen as out of touch with the suffering of ordinary people. His transformation from technocrat to dancing campaign figure — Bishop one day, Imam the next — further eroded the consistency that once made him credible.

Dr. Bawumia’s continued pursuit of power, supported by a bloc of over 60 MPs and party insiders, appears more transactional than inspirational — a matter of political favors, not vision. But political capital cannot be built on mutual back-scratching while the party base suffers and bleeds

We therefore appeal to Dr. Bawumia: for the sake of your legacy, the unity of the NPP, and the future of Ghanaian politics, withdraw from the race. Assume the role of a statesman, offering counsel and wisdom to future governments. Do not open yourself further to political ridicule, nor become the face of a party struggling to recover from its contradictions.