Member of Parliament for Akuapem North and a key figure in the Bawumia campaign, Sammi Awuku, has responded to New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirant Kennedy Agyapong’s recent remarks casting doubt on Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s chances of clinching victory in the 2028 presidential election.
It will be recalled that Kennedy Agyapong, somewhere last month in one of his meetings with party delegates, stated that it took former President John Mahama eight years to return and reclaim victory after losing the 2016 election by about one million votes. He questioned how long it might take Dr. Bawumia, who lost the last election by 1.7 million votes.
Responding to this, Sammi Awuku argued that although Mr. Agyapong’s point is understandable, the factors and parameters of the 2028 presidential election are totally different. Dr. Bawumia, if he emerges victorious in the NPP flagbearer election, will not be contesting against Mahama but against a new candidate presented by the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“I told one of Ken Agyapong’s campaign members that they have taken the campaign into algebra and calculus — and we will work out the calculation. You can’t fault Ken Agyapong because in campaigns you take shots. But it should not degenerate into personal attacks such as the Mamprusi or Kumasi tags. Ken has spoken and said President Mahama went home with a one-million-vote loss and it took him eight years. Dr. Bawumia went home with a 1.7-million-vote loss, so if one million equals eight years then 1.7 million equals X — find X. It’s a fair shot at the Bawumia campaign and it is not a personal attack,” he said.
“Okay, we accept the algebra and calculus analogy but disagree, because the facts are different. In 2016, Mahama was contesting Akufo-Addo for the second time as the incumbent. Bawumia will not face Mahama in 2028. It is now up to the NDC to present a new face, since Bawumia will be appearing on the ballot paper for the second time. There is wisdom in consistency,” Sammi Awuku added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bawumia remains the favourite to win the 2026 NPP delegates’ election.
The latest polls released by Global Info Analytics have revealed that former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is leading his rivals in the national poll as well as in key regions.
The survey on the upcoming NPP presidential primaries placed Dr. Bawumia in a commanding 52 percent lead, followed by Kennedy Agyapong at 17 percent and Bryan Acheampong at 2 percent.
However, the survey also revealed findings which place Dr. Bawumia ahead of second-placed Kennedy Agyapong in key regions, including his home region, the Central Region.
According to the polls, Bawumia is ahead in the Central Region with 32 percent, while Kennedy Agyapong is trailing at 25 percent, with a significant 35 percent of delegates still undecided.