Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has revealed that his campaign team initially resisted his decision to concede defeat in the December 7 elections.

Despite their concerns, Dr. Bawumia announced his concession on December 8, ahead of the Electoral Commission’s official declaration.

The Electoral Commission subsequently declared John Dramani Mahama as the winner on December 9, with 6,328,397 votes, representing 56.55% of valid votes cast.

Speaking to party supporters at his residence on Thursday, December 26, Dr. Bawumia emphasized that his decision was guided by a commitment to Ghana's peace and stability.

“Even though the Electoral Commission had not yet pronounced the winner, some members of my team said, ‘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 system,’” Dr. Bawumia explained.

He added that delaying the concession could have escalated tensions and led to unrest, as accusations of election rigging were circulating.

“If you wait, you build up more tension, and violence could come because people would think we are trying to rig the election. But nobody has ever conceded an election without the EC pronouncing first. I said, there’s a first time for everything,” Dr. Bawumia stated.

Dr. Bawumia’s early concession reflects his dedication to fostering national unity, setting a significant precedent in Ghana’s political landscape.