Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has cautioned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against what he calls the weaponization of collective failure in its internal presidential race, specifically the attempt to disqualify Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia based solely on the party’s performance in government.
In a post shared on Facebook, Manasseh argued that while Bawumia was indeed part of a regime that failed Ghanaians in many respects, he cannot be singled out as the face of that failure when other key figures in the same administration are now his internal opponents.
“Dr. Bawumia has been part of a failed regime,” Manasseh wrote. “But in my article, in which I intend to explain why I think Bawumia should lead the NPP, I will also explain why Bawumia’s failure in that regime is enough to disqualify his internal opponents if that failure were to form the basis for his rejection in the internal race.”
He stressed that such blame-shifting not only reeks of political convenience but also lacks integrity.
“You cannot pretend Bawumia was the only person in the Akufo-Addo government. If he failed, then all of them failed — and that includes those now claiming moral superiority to lead the party,” he argued.
Manasseh further noted that it is not unusual in Ghanaian politics for presidential hopefuls to lose on their first try, pointing to historical precedents in the country’s political landscape:
“Kufuor lost in 1996 before winning in 2000. President Atta Mills lost twice before winning in 2008. President Akufo-Addo lost twice before winning in 2016. President Mahama lost twice before winning again in 2024.”
According to him, political maturity demands that parties field their most unifying and capable candidates, not necessarily those with the cleanest escape from criticism. In his view, Bawumia stands out in the NPP not because he is faultless, but because he has shown the resilience and broad-based appeal needed to rally the party in turbulent times.
“At a period of heightened acrimony and division threatening the party’s chances at returning to power, the party needs a unifying figure. And I see that in Bawumia,” he wrote.
Manasseh also took a swipe at attempts to reduce the flagbearer contest to wealth and financial muscle:
“I’ve heard that Bawumia has enough money to pump into the party. If the primary consideration for leading the NPP were money, then Chairman Wuntumi could as well be the NPP’s flagbearer.”
He concluded by urging both the NPP and NDC to put forward their most competent and ethical candidates, warning that anything less would be a disservice to Ghana’s democracy:
“It is in the interest of the NDC that the NPP elect a bad candidate. And it is in the interest of the NPP that the NDC elect a bad candidate. However, it is in the interest of our democracy and the well-being of Ghanaians that both parties put their best foot forward.”
