By Anthony Adongo Apubeo, GNA
Bolgatanga, Jan. 28, GNA – Mr Peter Ayamga Ayinbisa, the Upper East Regional Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has declared that former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was the party’s best bet to win the 2028 presidential election.
Mr Ayinbisa, who was also the former District Chief Executive for Bongo, likened the Election 2028 to a high-stakes football encounter, “El Clásico,” football’s ‘biggest’ rivalry between the two Spanish giants, Real Madrid and Barcelona, arguing that the party must field its strongest candidate if it hoped to win back political power.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Ayinbisa said the contest between the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2028, would be too competitive to accommodate experimentation, stressing that only the party’s “best player” could deliver victory.
“When you are going for a war, you don’t send your reserves. You send your best army. This is like Barcelona versus Real Madrid; you don’t joke, you play your best players,” he said.
Mr Ayinbisa declared his support for Dr Bawumia, describing him as the most prepared and experienced candidate to lead the NPP into the 2028 polls.
He said Dr Bawumia’s vision and eight years of experience as Vice President gave him a strategic advantage over the other contenders and placed him in a stronger position to confront the NDC and overcome the challenges of incumbency.
“None of the other aspirants has served as Vice President for eight years. That experience cannot be thrown away. He is more prepared, more formidable, and better positioned to win power for the NPP,” he said.
Mr Ayinbisa rejected arguments that the party should abandon Dr Bawumia following its defeat in the 2024 elections, noting that Ghana’s political history showed that consistency often paid off.
He cited the examples of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, who lost in 1996 but won in 2000, and former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who contested three times before winning the presidency.
He also referenced President John Dramani Mahama’s multiple presidential bids, arguing that persistence was a recognised path to eventual victory in Ghanaian politics.
“Consistency is important. Ghanaians understand perseverance, and sometimes there is what we call the sympathy vote. You don’t just discard a candidate because of one defeat,” he said.
Mr Ayinbisa said the NPP would face a difficult contest in 2028, particularly against an incumbent NDC government that would allegedly deploy state resources and the advantages of incumbency.
However, he expressed confidence that Dr Bawumia remained the party’s strongest option to counter those advantages and appeal to the electorate.
“With Bawumia on the ballot, we have a better chance of winning the 2028 election than with any other candidate. He is our best bet,” he said.
He stressed that while all the aspirants were capable and committed party members, the circumstances of the Election 2028 demanded strategic decision-making rather than trial and error.
He reiterated that this was not the time for experimentation because the stakes were too high and that the party must choose wisely.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo