Ghana’s vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, made history Saturday by winning the New Patriotic Party’s presidential nomination for the 2024 election, becoming the first person from the North to achieve that feat.
The economist won 61.43% after gaining 118210 votes to defeat closest contender MP Kennedy Agyapong, who polled 71,996 votes, representing 37.41%.
Dr. Afriyie Akoto, who placed a distant third, polled 1,459 votes, representing 0.76%, while Addai-Nimoh garnered a meagre 731, representing 0.41%.
Amid applause, shouts, cheers, and, in some cases, tears, the country’s electoral commission declared the Veep as the chosen one to lead the party in their quest to break the looming eight-year election cycle jinx in Ghana’s political history.
In his victory speech, the vice president called for unity among his party members as they face the opposition NDC in the 2024 election.
“Let us join together to achieve the ambition of breaking the 8,” Bawumia said, adding, “That ambition requires the participation of all the aspirants, including Kennedy Agyapong, who wanted to give me a showdown today.”
A total of 192,446 delegates voted in Saturday’s presidential primary. The total valid votes were 193, 346; 900 votes were rejected. Turnout was 94.63%.
Bawumia was predicted from the start to win the presidential primary, but he, however, failed to meet the target of 80% set by members of his campaign team.
Several MPs and ministers threw their support behind Dr. Bawumia, who is a popular figure within the NPP.
Dr Bawumia makes history by becoming the first non-Akan to lead the NPP into a general election after being the running mate to President Akufo-Addo since 2008.
