President Akufo-Addo has passed on the mantle of leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the newly elected flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
In his handover speech at the outdooring ceremony of Dr Bawumia on Saturday, November 4, he said he had duly served the party during his tenure.
According to him, as it stands now, it is time for him to assist the newly elected flagbearer to win the 2024 election for the party to retain power.
“I want to thank every single NPP person here that for the last 16 years – 2007, 2010, 2014, and 2020, you have conferred your confidence in me to lead this great party, you have honoured me an honour I can never ever forget, and you have allowed me to serve the party, through the party, to serve the people of Ghana.
“I have done my best but I still have one more task to do and that is with all my strength, all my energy, to help the new flagbearer, Mahamudu Bawumia win the election of 2024,” he said.
This, he says is because the country cannot afford the return of the opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under former President John Mahama’s leadership.
For this reason, he urged the party to be committed and work hard in unity to ensure they ‘break the 8’ in the 2024 election.
He praised Dr Bawumia’s dedication to the party over the years, emphasising that his victory is a well-deserved recognition of his hard work.
President Akufo-Addo also expressed his belief that Dr Bawumia can unite the party and face off against the NDC in the 2024 elections.
President Akufo-Addo acknowledged that Dr Bawumia’s leadership, along with the support of all the contestants, can provide the strong guidance and unity needed to secure victory.
“Sixteen years of work in opposition and in government has been rewarded by the party with this leadership that has been confirmed upon him and I am confident Dr Bawumia will be able to unite this party with the assistance of Kennedy Agyapong, Dr Afriyie Akoto and Addai-Nimoh and all the other contestants and provide us the strong leadership to take on the NDC in 2024 and inflict a third successive defeat on John Dramani Mahama,” he said.
Certified results released by Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission, Siriboe Quaicoe, showed that Dr Bawumia secured 118,210 votes, representing 61.47%, while his closest competitor, Mr Agyapong, garnered 71,996 votes, representing 37.41%. Dr. Afriyie Akoto and Addai-Nimoh secured 1,459 and 731 votes, respectively.