NPP Not United, Not Ready for 2028 – Internal Cracks Exposed as Bawumia’s Support Slips

The acting Director of election to National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mahdi Gibril has said that fresh signs of deepening division within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have emerged, raising serious questions about the NPP’s readiness for the 2028 general elections and the strength of former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s candidacy.

In a zoom interview with Kojo Preko Dankwa on “Kessben Maakye” early today Monday February 2, 2026, he claimed the NPP remains fractured, with time expected to further expose the cracks rather than heal them. ” I was disappointed to see former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inclined to deliver a speech at a recent party event, after multiple candidates accused him of being responsible for the current disunity within the party, says Mahdi Gibril.

At the NPP headquarters, Dr. Bawumia’s dominance appears to be waning. Sources indicate that delegates effectively delivered a “vote of no confidence” by reducing his support from 61% to 56%, a drop seen by many as a warning signal rather than a minor fluctuation.

Mahdi Gibril further said the NDC is not afraid of Dr. Bawumia and would not waste time centering its campaign around him. Again he even suggested that the NPP has pushed Bawumia forward too early, exposing him to sustained political attacks.

Adding to the controversy, he said Kennedy Ohene Agyapong reportedly described Bawumia as a “liar,” a comment that has intensified internal debates and fueled criticism from both within and outside the party.

Alarmingly, about 50% of delegates at the NPP headquarters allegedly abstained from voting during the just ended presidential Primaries , citing uncertainty over whom to support , another indication of confusion and lack of consensus within the NPP party.

Meanwhile, the NDC is said to be preparing to engage Dr. Bawumia strictly at the party level rather than treating him as a presidential contender, signaling a strategic downgrade of his political weight.

In response to concerns about candidate Bawumia’s consistency on the ballot, he dismissed the issue describing it as “Kelewele analysis,” arguing that elections are influenced by timing , dynamics and circumstance.

He explained that since 1992, whoever wins general elections irrespective of their party, increases their accumulated votes in Primaries to nothing less than 70% and not otherwise. Critics, however, say such explanations fail to address the growing dissatisfaction among the base.

Mahdi Gibril warns that whoever eventually partners with Dr. Bawumia on the ticket may find it difficult to shift public perception, as positions appear to be hardening both within the party and among the electorate.

As Ghana moves closer to the 2028 polls, the NPP’s challenge may no longer be the opposition, but itself.