The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has been formally informed of the election of former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the 2028 presidential flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The notification was delivered during the first Akwasidae festival of the year, held on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
Conveying the message on behalf of the party, Dr. Ayew Afriyie, Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore and Ashanti Regional Campaign Liaison, said the delegation had come to officially brief the Asantehene on the outcome of the NPP’s presidential primary held a day earlier.
Dr. Afriyie attributed Dr. Bawumia’s victory to the prayers and blessings of the Asantehene, describing the outcome as a moment of pride for the Ashanti Kingdom.
“Yesterday, the New Patriotic Party went to the polls and elected your son,” he told the Asantehene, adding that Dr. Bawumia would formally visit the Manhyia Palace after the King returns from his announced leave of absence.
The Kumasi-based Bawumia Campaign Team also used the occasion to seek the Asantehene’s continued blessings and support as they prepare for the political activities ahead.
Dr. Bawumia won the January 31, 2026 presidential primary with 110,643 votes, representing 56.48 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
He defeated a field of contenders that included former Assin Central Member of Parliament Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; former Minister of Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum; former Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr. Bryan Acheampong; and former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyapong.
