The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched a nationwide thank you tour, led by former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to express gratitude to party supporters following the 2024 general elections.
The initiative, according to NPP Communications Director Richard Ahiagbah, marks a deliberate shift from the traditional candidate-led approach to a party-sponsored effort, aimed at fostering unity and rebuilding momentum ahead of the 2028 election.
“That is, further from the truth. In fact, if you listen to the former Vice President’s statement, he was clear in indicating that everybody is part of this tour, including the people he contested with for the flagbearership.
“They are welcome and have been duly invited to join the tour”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Communications Director
Amid public speculation that the tour could be a veiled attempt to reposition Dr. Bawumia as the frontrunner for the next presidential race, Ahiagbah was quick to dismiss such claims.
He emphasized that the tour is entirely party-driven and not a personal political campaign.
Speaking of the ongoing tour, Ahiagbah clarified that the planning and sponsorship came directly from the party’s leadership.
“It is the party that is sponsoring the tour. It is the party that is having this tour, a clear departure from what used to be the case where the candidates themselves would have led their own thanksgiving tour around the country”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Communications Director
He further noted that this collective approach is intended to rally all factions within the party under one banner of unity and appreciation.
The former Vice President, who was the NPP’s 2024 flagbearer, has been joined by all and sundry.
Abandoning Personal Agenda
In detailing the timeline leading to the tour, Ahiagbah revealed that Dr. Bawumia initially had different plans.
“My indication is that the vice president’s office wanted to do this much longer, much earlier… But he had to acquiesce to the party’s position to say that we want to do a party thank you tour”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Communications Director
He lauded Dr. Bawumia’s willingness to abandon his planned personal thank you tour much earlier and defer to the party’s decision to make it a broader, more inclusive effort.
According to Ahiagbah, this decision underscores Dr. Bawumia’s loyalty and commitment to the NPP’s collective goals. “He, being a faithful party person, gave up that independence in him running his own country tour to go along with the party position.”
Not a Campaign Launch
Ahiagbah unequivocally rejected the idea that the tour is part of a strategy to market Dr. Bawumia for the next presidential election.
“It is a collective party position to galvanize and drive our grassroots towards regrouping and getting us positioned for victory 2028”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Communications Director
He insisted that the core message of the tour is gratitude and resilience, not personal ambition or future candidacy.
“The party’s agenda is to go around and thank the people for the hard work that was done, for the honest effort that was put in. To say that unfortunately, we were not successful, but we live to fight another day”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Communications Director
The NPP’s decision to sponsor and lead the tour reflects a broader strategic shift as the party moves into opposition. By taking ownership of the thank you process, the party appears to be focusing on internal consolidation and grassroots re-engagement after its electoral defeat.
Observers note that while Dr. Bawumia remains a prominent figure within the party, the official framing of the tour as a party initiative is likely an attempt to downplay individual political ambitions and instead present a united front.
As the tour begins, the NPP will be making an assessment of how its message resonates with supporters and what it might signal for the party’s internal dynamics ahead of its 2026 primaries and the 2028 general elections.
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