The former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Builsa South, Daniel Kwame Gariba, has criticized some of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer aspirants, describing their approach to the recent internal contest as ill-prepared and lacking vision for Ghana’s future.
Speaking on A1 Radio in Bolgatanga as part of his engagement with delegates ahead of his bid to contest the Upper East Regional Secretary position of the NPP, Mr. Gariba said many aspirants entered the flagbearer race without a clear understanding of national development priorities or a coherent policy direction.
“Most of our flagbearer aspirants went into the race ill-prepared and resorted to attacking personalities, especially Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,” he noted. “We keep hearing comments that further dent the image of the party and its chances of winning the 2028 elections. Aspirants should have gone into the race with a vision for this country—what they can do to make Ghana better if they become president.”
Mr. Gariba emphasized that politics should not be about rivalry or personal competition but about presenting ideas that resonate with the people. “Let’s put it in their minds that it is not them against Dr. Bawumia. Once you think it’s about Bawumia, you get it wrong. Your focus should be on your vision to lead Ghana and on building a social contract with the people,” he explained.
He lamented that rather than conducting an issue-based campaign, many aspirants turned their campaigns into blame games. “From the start, some aspirants said the campaign should focus on issues—what you can do for party members and for Ghana—but we didn’t see any of that. It turned into a campaign of ‘Bawumia is the reason we lost,’ without any data or proof.”
Mr. Gariba further questioned the logic behind claims that Dr. Bawumia cannot lead the party to victory, noting that no scientific evidence supports such assertions. “If you contested before and lost, and now say the one who beat you is incompetent, what grounds do you have? Democracy works by levels of acceptance. If you couldn’t even win half of your party’s support, how can you claim that Ghanaians at large will vote for you?” he argued.
He urged members of the NPP to move beyond internal blame and unite behind a shared national vision. “We must move away from this Bawumia fixation,” he cautioned. “It is the blame game and counteraccusations that weaken us as a party. Instead, we should focus on ideas and solutions that can transform Ghana.”
Mr. Gariba concluded by calling for unity and strategic thinking as the NPP prepares for the 2028 elections, stressing that issue-based campaigning and internal cohesion remain key to the party’s future success.
Source: a1radioonline.com|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga
