My Team Didn’t Want Me To Concede Defeat Early But I Wanted Peace – Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has disclosed that his decision to concede defeat in Ghana’s 7 December presidential election was met with resistance from his campaign team. However, he chose to prioritise national peace over political considerations.

Speaking to party supporters at his residence on 26 December, Dr. Bawumia recounted his decision to acknowledge defeat just hours after vote counting began. This marked a significant moment in Ghana’s democratic history, as it preceded the official announcement of results by the Electoral Commission.

Dr. Bawumia announced his concession on 8 December, a move he described as critical to safeguarding Ghana’s democratic principles and ensuring peace in the country. The Electoral Commission subsequently declared John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) the winner on 9 December, with 6,328,397 votes, representing 56.55% of valid ballots cast.

“A First Time for Everything”

In his address, Dr. Bawumia explained that his campaign team initially opposed his decision, arguing that it was premature given that the Electoral Commission had not yet officially confirmed the results.

“So, even though the Electoral Commission had not yet pronounced [the winner], in fact, some of my people in my team were saying, you can’t go out to concede. We don’t know if all this data is right; let’s wait. But I said, look, we know this data is right from our own system,” Dr. Bawumia said.

He stressed that waiting could have heightened tensions and possibly led to unrest. “If you wait, you build up more tension, and violence could come because people would think we are trying to rig the election, because that is the message that was coming, that we were trying to rig the election,” he explained.

“But nobody has ever conceded an election without the EC coming out to pronounce, and I said there is a first time for everything,” he added.

Commitment to Peace

Dr. Bawumia underscored his unwavering commitment to the stability of Ghana, noting that his actions were driven by a desire to place the nation’s interests above all else. “The stability of Ghana must always come first,” he said, urging his supporters to uphold the ideals of democracy and unity.

He also expressed gratitude to NPP supporters for their dedication during the campaign and encouraged them to remain steadfast in their commitment to the party’s vision for a stronger and more united Ghana.

Dr. Bawumia’s early concession has been widely recognised as a move that reinforced Ghana’s reputation as a beacon of democracy and peace in Africa.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com