NPP risks disaster in 2028 if it backs first-time flagbearer – Nitiwul

Former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul has cautioned the New Patriotic Party against choosing a first-time presidential candidate for the 2028 elections, warning of dire consequences.

Nitiwul argued that the NPP, having lost power in 2024, does not have the luxury of experimentation as it prepares for its next electoral contest. According to him, the party must prioritise experience, visibility, and a tested national appeal to avoid a repeat defeat.

“We should never lose in 2028 because it will be disastrous for us,” the Bimbilla MP said, stressing that the stakes for the party could not be higher.

He made the comments during an interview on Joy News’ PM Express, where he strongly backed former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as the safest option for the party. Nitiwul insisted that internal debates about succession should be guided by political reality rather than sentiment.

“I can tell you, in this election, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is going to win,” he said, referring to the NPP’s internal primaries. “Just like Akufo-Addo won for a second time in 2010 and then for a third time in 2014, Bawumia is going to win.”

He explained that his position was not an attempt to downplay the competence of other aspirants whose names have come up in party discussions.

“That is not to take away anything from another candidate, whether it’s Ken, Bryan, Adutwum or Kwabena Agyapong,” Nitiwul stated. “It’s not to take anything away from that candidate.”

However, he maintained that time is a critical factor working against the NPP. In his view, introducing a new face to the electorate would be both costly and risky.

“We don’t have time to market a new candidate,” he said. “All I can say is that it has been marketed enough.”

Nitiwul also argued that Dr Bawumia has already endured years of public scrutiny, emerging without serious reputational damage.

“He has shown that he’s very competent, not corrupt, and there’s nothing to find about Bawumia anymore,” he said, adding that political opponents have exhausted their lines of attack. “Whatever the NDC wants to say, they have said it already.”

He pointed to Ghana’s electoral patterns to support his case. “Ghanaians have never voted for a first timer,” Nitiwul said, noting that this places Bawumia at a strategic advantage.

“For the NPP, we cannot risk having our own candidate being a first timer,” he warned, arguing that familiarity and experience could determine the party’s survival in 2028.