Bawumia’s Tour across the country has ignited a storm of political commentary, with some analysts calling it a strategic move for self-preservation rather than party unification.
Political historian and analyst, Prof. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi, has described Bawumia’s Tour as morally and ethically “fraudulent”, aimed at securing leadership again without allowing for genuine democratic processes.
He believes the former Vice President’s outreach is failing to bring cohesion to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), instead exposing deeper fractures and lingering resentment within its ranks.
In an interview with the Vaultz News, Prof. Adu-Gyamfi observed that although the initiative is being presented as a “Thank You Tour,” its timing and messaging point to a more strategic political agenda.
“Maybe it may fix some of the damage that is left since his loss in the last election,” he said, but cautioned that the exercise appears to be exacerbating internal fragmentation.
“The exchanges going on ought to have been done in quiet and in secret…What they are doing today is a sign of a party that is not united, with a leader who is struggling to hold on to power… [if] things fall apart, the centre cannot hold.”
Prof. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi
Critics argue that Bawumia’s Tour is an attempt to distance himself from the economic failures of the Akufo-Addo administration.
However, Prof. Adu-Gyamfi dismissed the attempt as disingenuous. “He was supposed to be the economic messiah,” he said, yet Bawumia became “a byword,” merely kept around for political optics.
The 2024 elections, he stressed, were effectively a referendum on the failures of the previous government.
He indicated that rather than resigning or challenging internal decisions publicly, Bawumia chose to remain in the fold.
“…He could have vociferously argued his case out and even have a strong dissent to the extent that he could have even resigned from the government and say that ‘look, unfortunately, I disagree with the executive head, the steps he is taking are largely unacceptable, and I cannot continue if he dares to continue that way.’ That, in a major shake-up, could have also added to his own integrity.”
Prof. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi
Still, he acknowledged that the Vice President is now seeking to salvage his political relevance, hoping to redefine his narrative as an independent force with a new vision.
However, the Ghanaian electorate appears unconvinced. “It is quite hard for you to isolate yourself from a government you have been part of from the beginning,” Prof. Adu-Gyamfi notes.
His criticism extended to Bawumia’s public plea for forgiveness, which he dismissed as insincere. “It ought to be an apology tour, not a thank you tour.”
The analyst argued that a single press conference followed by introspection and meaningful reform could have helped mend the party’s image. Instead, what the public sees, he indicated, is a party more focused on internal power plays than national healing.
Analyst Warns Of Deeper Party Divides Amid ‘Bawumia’s Tour’
Furthermore, Prof. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi highlighted a longstanding pattern of internal division within the NPP, referencing the ousting of Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyei Agyapong as the beginning of a “divide and rule” era under Mr. Akufo-Addo, where power and resources became concentrated among a few individuals and families.
He described the current state of the party as deeply concerning and urged a return to its foundational principles.
He cautioned Dr. Bawumia against repeating the missteps of his predecessors, especially those associated with former President Akufo-Addo.
In his view, the NPP should transcend individual ambitions, yet he expressed regret that the party seems locked in a cycle of pettiness and superficial responses to internal issues.
“Dr Bawumia is cherry picking. Today he says this, the next day he says that. He is bereft of ideas. It is because the whole exercise is not a good one… You should allow the system to have an even keel…not try to please some loyalists who have no clue about what it means to have a quality, unified political party.”
Prof. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi
While he acknowledged the necessity of internal dissent, he stressed that the current infighting, further intensified by Bawumia’s tour is unhealthy.
The grassroots, he warned, are growing disillusioned with the endless power struggles. “They should hope and pray and maybe let their voices be heard about what they want and how they want their party to be positioned.”
The future of the party, he stressed, hinges on leadership that listens. “They need to come back, sit down, and reflect.” He emphasized the importance of returning to internal democratic structures to rebuild unity and public trust.
“It is quite a bit Shakespearean and in many respects a theatre we are yet to observe. It is a spectacle and possibly a debacle.”
Prof. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi
Accordingly, he warned that the NPP is on the brink of a “looming disaster” should it fail to resolve these tensions ahead of 2028.
He stressed that although other political developments are important, they should not overshadow the core issue—the breakdown of internal party integrity and the absence of ethical leadership among the party’s top ranks.
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