Dr Mahamudu Bawumia gets the nod to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as flag bearer for the 2028 election.
He emerged winner of the party’s primary last Saturday by securing 56.5 per cent of the votes cast by the delegates.
This was a hard-won victory because the primary was characterised by several moments of intense political rivalry.
Before I proceed, let me commend the party for a well-organised and incident-free primary.
For all the intense competition, harsh rhetoric and occasional mudslinging, it was quite a relief to observe how it all ended on a very high note.
Now comes the next hurdle.
With a victory secured and a second chance given to him, the next real tasks begin – reorganising the party and developing a campaign narrative convincing enough for Ghanaians to also give him a chance, just as the NPP delegates have.
The second chance – Reorganising the party
There are three main tasks I believe confront Dr Bawumia, in relation to the party itself.
First is the issue of unity, a recurring theme in many post-primary analyses. I agree that a united party is important after such a brawling contest.
The concession of defeat and the pledge of support for the candidate and party by the losing contestants are helpful early signals in achieving unity.
The pledge of unity and support must also come from the supporters of the losing candidates.
Whatever the grievance, the point worth emphasising as part of the unity exercise is – party first.
As the former president said, “the party is bigger than any one individual.”
Second, there is the election of new officers at all levels of the party structure.
It will be instructive to see how the contest unfolds.
Hopefully, it does not become an extension of the primary contest, in which candidates for national, regional, constituency, etc. positions are seen as striving to serve the party rather than as the candidates they supported during the primary.
In the end, these officers will be the ones ensuring that the party infrastructure is deployed to support Dr Bawumia’s second chance.
Third, and flowing especially from the second point, is how victory is used to influence the election of party executives.
Given how the primary evolved, there may be a temptation to ensure that the next set of party executives demonstrates loyalty to the elected flag bearer.
This temptation can drive the adoption of unhealthy tactics that further undermine the call for unity.
Whatever the case, fairness and impartiality must prevail and all and sundry must be constantly reminded that a strong party ready to contest 2028 requires a “party’s interest first” mindset.
The second chance – Preparing for the 2028 election
Election 2028 is three full calendar years away.
The candidate, therefore, has enough time to prepare and strategise to see whether he can convince enough Ghanaians to get him past the finish line of 50 per cent plus one vote.
I just hope that it does not become three years of campaigning that are too long, to the point where political fatigue sets in.
But I am sure the candidate himself is fully aware of this and knows best how to manage the three years.
The other major task is the candidate’s overarching narrative for 2028.
Of course, there are several unknowns at this point – a) the state of the economy in 2028; b) who the NDC’s flag bearer will be; c) governance challenges that may emerge; d) post-regime accountability outcomes for those who served in the NPP administration; e) the disposition of the Ghanaian voter; etc. All these unknowns will shape the candidate’s narrative.
There are many things I would like to see Dr Bawumia do.
An immediate one is to develop an overarching narrative that reconciles these elements – a) the 2016 election narrative; b) the economic challenges faced; c) his role in the Akufo-Addo administration; d) the 2024 rejection of the NPP and, by default, him; and e) what a Bawumia administration would look like.
Yes, it is a tall order and not a simple task. But this is the burden that comes with being the one chosen to help a political party win power.
What I see such a narrative doing is enabling him to a) fully make peace with the past; b) take collective ownership of the outcome of not just the Akufo-Addo years, during which he served as Vice-President, but also the 2024 election; and c) avoid, in my opinion, the sometimes differing narratives heard during the primary about how much agency he had or did not have during the previous administration.
And if I may add a small footnote – I’d like him to consider modifying the people who will be the official faces and voices of his 2028 campaign.
Congratulations and good luck.
The writer is the Project Director, Democracy Project
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh