Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has declared that unless Dr Mahamudu Bawumia becomes president first, no NPP aspirant will be president.
Wontumi noted that Dr Bawumia’s presidency would open the door for other aspirants in successive years.
Chairman Wontumi argued that blocking Dr Bawumia’s chances would only delay the ambitions of other NPP presidential hopefuls like Kennedy Agyapong and Bryan Acheampong.
According to him, the NPP must think long-term and implement a succession plan that ensures continuity and equality among its members.
Speaking in a video shared on X, on September 12, 2025, Chairman Wontumi stated, “If we had supported Dr Bawumia in 2024 and allowed him to become president, by now we would have started counting the four years, and before we know it, his tenure in office would have come to an end and then the next person takes over”.
“You might be supporting your own candidate, but if we can all support Dr Bawumia wholeheartedly, it will eventually get to everyone’s turn. Anyone in NPP who wants to become president must allow Dr Bawumia to lead first. No NPP aspirant will be president unless Bawumia leads first,” he asserted.
Wontumi further used Joe Biden as an example, although more qualified in his opinion, allowed Barack Obama to ascend to the presidency first, with Biden later becoming president.
The NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman noted that patience and loyalty within a political party can eventually pay off.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the former Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful, has said he cannot be blamed for the party’s poor performance in the Bawku zone in the 2024 elections.
The NPP during the 2024 election failed to secure a seat in any of the six constituencies.
Dr Bawumia argued that the NPP’s struggles in the Bawku enclave are historical,
He noted that the area has traditionally been a stronghold of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking to NPP party supporters at Effiduase in the Ashanti Region on Thursday, September 11, Dr Bawumia stated, “They claim we lost the 2024 elections because of the Mamprusi-Kusasi conflict. Those claims will not wash. They would have given me a knock-out if it’s true because I’m a Mamprusi. I was not even born when the conflict started”.
“Since 1965, there have been 11 elections in Ghana, in the Bawku zone, which has six constituencies. The NPP has won only two seats, being the highest. In most of the elections, we had zero seats in six of the 11 elections,” Bawumia explained.
Dr Bawumia further recalled, “In 2004, former president J. A. Kufuor won the election, but the NPP scored zero in the Bawku zone. In 2012, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was the flagbearer, but we had zero seats in the Bawku zone. We were not part of the conflict.
In 2024, we had zero seats in the Bawku enclave. If you look at the trajectory, was I the cause? I can’t be blamed for our poor performance in the Bawku zone, which is an NDC stronghold,” he emphasised.
Additionally, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said he would introduce a constituency-based budgeting framework under his leadership.
According to Bawumia, the new proposal will overhaul Ghana’s budgeting system, which will be a more local approach to development financing.
Dr Bawumia explained, “I am bringing a new idea to Ghana. I want to transform our current framework into a constituency-based budgeting framework.
With this, every constituency will be featured in the budget, and the management of that budget will come at the constituency level”.
Dr Bawumia highlighted that the proposed system would ensure development funds and contracts are directly tied to constituencies, which will enhance transparency, accountability, and impact.
“So, when we are awarding a contract, you will know that it is coming straight to your constituency so that you manage it from there. That will help elevate each constituency to drive development for all of us,” Dr. Bawumia asserted.
In related news, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said he has also contributed to the NPP but does not come out to declare them publicly.
According to Dr Bawumia, in the 2024 elections, he raised an unprecedented amount of money for the NPP in history.
Dr Bawumia further revealed he donated over 300 pick-ups, which are now being used by the NPP in constituencies.
Watch the video below:
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP has declared that no member of the party with presidential ambitions will ever become president unless Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia becomes president first.
— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) September 12, 2025
He cited former US Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, noting that although Biden… pic.twitter.com/UH0wKvb56W