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By Daniel Twumasi Kankam_
The longstanding chieftaincy dispute between the Mamprusi and Kusaasi (Kusassi) communities in the Bawku area of northern Ghana significantly shaped political dynamics in the lead-up to the 2024 elections. Recent escalations, including the killing of a Kusassi chief and three students, prompted state action: deployment of troops and imposition of curfews to restore order (Reuters, 2025).
Hon. Bryan Acheampong’s assertion that the Mamprusi–Kusassi conflict detrimentally affected the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) performance in 2024 is grounded not in rhetoric but in geopolitical reality. Conflicts of this nature disrupt voting patterns through displacement, voter intimidation, and eroded trust, particularly among communities directly involved.
Although exact ethnic disaggregation is not published by the Electoral Commission (EC), credible demographic estimates indicate that the Kusassi population in Ghana exceeds 500,000, the majority concentrated in the Northern Regions of Ghana and represented on the EC’s 2024 register of 18.7 million voters (EC Ghana, 2024 provisional register report). Even a fraction of Kusassi voters, influenced by unresolved tensions, could decisively alter outcomes in marginal northern constituencies.
The impact was stark: in several polling stations in Kusassi-dominated communities, Dr. Bawumia, the NPP’s candidate, recorded zero votes. This was not an accident, but a direct consequence of the conflict’s ethnic and political undertones. Such unprecedented rejection highlighted how deeply the conflict shaped perceptions of the NPP’s candidate among affected groups. Historically, the NPP has relied on consolidating northern support, but conflict-induced fragmentation directly undermined this foundation.
*Tribal Appeals and Broken Promises: The Bawumia Pre-Election Narrative*
Leading up to the 2024 elections, Vice President and NPP presidential candidate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia made repeated appeals to Northerners, Zongo communities, and the entire NPP, presenting his candidacy as a tribal and religious imperative. He argued that as a Northerner, and as a Muslim, he was uniquely positioned to secure unprecedented support from Zongo communities. This message was echoed by leading surrogates such as Michael Okyere Baafi, MP for New Juaben South, who described the 2024 election as a “free penalty kick” for Northerners and Zongos to vote for Bawumia (MyJoyOnline, 2024).
Yet the results told a different story. Despite projecting himself as the automatic choice of Northerners and Zongo voters, Dr. Bawumia lost decisively in these very communities. In fact, the zero-vote outcome in Kusassi-dominated polling stations remains the most glaring evidence of the collapse of his tribal-based strategy. President John Mahama secured 52.96 % of the national vote (6 million plus votes), while Bawumia managed only 41.7 % (4 million plus votes) (EC certified results, 2024).
This outcome exposed not only the limitations of tribal-based electoral appeals but also a deeper problem: deceit within the party’s own ranks. Dr. Bawumia persuaded NPP delegates to endorse him as flagbearer in 2023 on the back of promises of Northern and Zongo votes, yet when he failed to deliver, he neither acknowledged his miscalculation nor apologized to the party grassroots for misleading them. This silence has left lingering resentment within the rank and file of the NPP.
*Vindication: Hon. Bryan Acheampong as a Voice of Truth and Unity*
Against this backdrop, Hon. Bryan Acheampong’s commentary emerges not as political posturing but as a sober, evidence-based reflection of the forces that shaped the 2024 outcomes:
1. He highlighted the tangible impact of ethnic conflict (Mamprusi–Kusassi) on voter behavior and election results.
2. He critiqued the tribal-based mobilization strategy, exposing how it ignored structural and emotional responses to conflict and governance failures.
3. He grounded his analysis in data, pointing to the EC register, regional turnout shifts, and nationwide voter apathy in the 2024 polls (60.9 % turnout vs. 79 % in 2020).
Hon. Bryan stands out as a principled leader who tells hard truths, even when politically inconvenient. He represents a fact-driven, peace-oriented vision for leadership; something the NPP urgently requires.
*Why Bryan Is the Ideal NPP Flagbearer for 2028*
• Fact-Driven Leadership
His recent statements reflect a nuanced understanding of the interplay between ethnicity, conflict, and electoral behavior, not populist posturing.
• Ethical, Peace-Oriented Vision
Unlike tribal appeals, Bryan advocates for social cohesion, community healing, and inclusive outreach; values essential to regaining trust in post-2024 Ghana.
• Strategic Insight and Credibility
The 2024 experience underscored the limitations of identity politics. Bryan’s analytical clarity positions him as the kind of leader capable of crafting a more effective, forward-looking NPP strategy.
• Restoring Party Fortunes
To rebuild the NPP’s national appeal, the party needs a candidate who can unify across divides, heal fissures, and demonstrate moral clarity; qualities Bryan embodies.
*Conclusion*
Hon. Bryan Acheampong’s analysis on the Mamprusi–Kusassi conflict and its electoral fallout is both accurate and essential. His articulation of how tribal tensions undermined NPP’s 2024 prospects; despite Dr. Bawumia’s targeted tribal appeals; is validated by election data, regional dynamics, and post-election trends.
Dr. Bawumia’s failure to acknowledge his misleading of NPP delegates, and his refusal to apologize for overpromising Northern and Zongo votes he could not deliver, represents a cautionary tale against building campaigns on tribal sentiments. The zero-vote results in Kusassi-dominated areas are the most striking evidence of this failed strategy.
In the quest to reclaim the presidency in 2028, the NPP must present a candidate who is not only strategic and credible, but also ethical, unifying, and attuned to Ghana’s sociopolitical realities.
Hon. Bryan Acheampong is precisely that candidate.
_The Future Has a Name and Is BRYAN_
