Bawumia meets Western and Savannah NPP chiefs, pushes unity message ahead of 2028 race

Former Vice President and New Patriotic Party presidential candidate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has continued his round of engagements with newly elected regional party executives, meeting with leaders from the Western and Savannah regions on Thursday at his Accra office. The sessions underscore the NPP's early mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2028 general election, with Dr. Bawumia stressing the critical importance of internal party unity and inclusive leadership.

The meetings form part of a structured series of courtesy calls by recently elected NPP regional executives following last weekend's regional party elections. Dr. Bawumia had already met with Greater Accra and Central Region executives earlier in the week, with further engagements scheduled in the coming days to cover all ten regions.

The unity push

In his remarks to both delegations, Dr. Bawumia pressed home a consistent message: victory in 2028 depends on party-wide cohesion and the active involvement of all members, including those who contested unsuccessfully in the regional elections. The incoming executives pledged their commitment to working towards securing electoral victory for the NPP in both the presidential and parliamentary contests.

"I reiterate my call for unity and the inclusion of all stakeholders, including those who were not elected, for the task ahead," Dr. Bawumia told the executives. "2028 will require all hands on deck." He further assured the new leadership of his willingness to collaborate closely, framing the effort as a collective endeavour rather than one driven from the top down.

"Our goal is clear. We must unite, we must organise, and we must win in 2028. I am committed to working with all of you and every member of our great party to achieve that," he said.

Why this matters for Ghana

These engagements carry significant weight for Ghana's political landscape. The NPP, having lost the 2024 general election to the National Democratic Congress, is entering a critical rebuilding and repositioning phase. Regional executives are crucial grassroots mobilisers who will shoulder much of the responsibility for campaign organisation, volunteer coordination, and voter outreach over the next four years.

By meeting with these leaders early and emphasising unity, Dr. Bawumia is attempting to set a collaborative tone that could help the party avoid internal divisions that often damage opposition parties during long inter-election periods. The emphasis on including unsuccessful candidates—those who lost regional elections—is a calculated move to prevent the emergence of splinter factions or disaffected groups that could weaken party morale and organisation.

Ghana's political competitiveness depends significantly on how well opposition parties can consolidate support and maintain organisational coherence between elections. The early and deliberate nature of these meetings suggests the NPP is taking seriously the lessons of the 2024 defeat and attempting to build a stronger foundation for 2028.

The ongoing engagements across all regions will be closely watched as indicators of whether the party can genuinely unite behind a common agenda or whether factional tensions will resurface in coming months.