“Bawumia Isn’t to Blame for NPP Loss – Atwima Kwawonma MP”
By: Adwoa Nyarko Asiamah | 26 January 2026
Hon. Kofi Amankwa-Manu, Esq., Member of Parliament for Atwima Kwawonma and a member of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s Campaign Team, has dismissed claims that the former Vice President was responsible for the New Patriotic Party’s electoral defeat, arguing that the outcome was shaped by prevailing conditions at the time rather than leadership failure.
Speaking on Pure FM, the MP said every election has its own dynamics, noting that timing, season, and circumstances play a critical role in determining results. According to him, his extensive tour of polling stations across Atwima Kwawonma showed overwhelming grassroots support for Dr. Bawumia.
“I went to almost every polling station in Atwima Kwawonma, and many people wanted Bawumia. He is widely seen as intelligent and competent,” he said.
Hon. Amankwa-Manu stressed that Dr. Bawumia’s performance as Vice President proves his readiness to lead, pointing to key initiatives such as Agenda 111, employment-focused policies, and the gold reserve strategy to stabilize the cedi.
“Even as Vice President, Bawumia showed his capacity. We are benefiting from some of his ideas today. My own daughter has benefited from his thinking,” he noted.
He rejected the perception that Dr. Bawumia would lose again if given another opportunity, insisting that the post-COVID economic hardships and rising cost of living were the real factors that affected voter decisions.
“After COVID, things became difficult and frustration set in. It was not about Bawumia; it was about the conditions at the time,” he explained.
The MP also criticized sections of the media for what he described as selective silence on key national issues such as galamsey, labour agitations, and LGBTQ matters, questioning why these topics faded from public discourse after the elections.
On religion, Hon. Amankwa-Manu dismissed claims that Dr. Bawumia’s faith was a disadvantage, describing such arguments as politically expedient and inconsistent with Ghana’s history.
“If religion was the issue, Bawumia would not have had the votes he had. Back in the day, religion was never a problem. We lived together in harmony,” he said, adding that leadership should be judged by competence, not belief.
He admitted that the NPP’s defeat was collective, citing internal apathy, excessive monetization of party processes, and indiscipline as factors that weakened the campaign.
“We all had a part to play. Politics has become a business venture, and that is hurting the party. Some people even refused to vote simply because it was Bawumia,” he stated.
Drawing a comparison, the MP recalled how the NDC stood by late President Prof. John Evans Atta Mills despite challenges because of his popularity and credibility.
Hon. Amankwa-Manu concluded by calling on the party to give Dr. Bawumia another opportunity.
“Bawumia has contested once as president. Let us give him the chance,” he urged.
