When former President John Dramani Mahama recently declared during the National Cyber Security Awareness Month that “digitalisation is not just an abstract idea, it is real,” many Ghanaians could not help but recall his 2019 campaign mockery of then–Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who had been championing Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.
At a rally in Accra, Mr. Mahama famously quipped, “Ghanaians don’t eat digital kenkey; they eat real kenkey with fish.” It was a catchy line, crafted to dismiss digitalisation as irrelevant to the everyday Ghanaian. But time and reality have proven him wrong.
Today, even the opposition NDC acknowledges the centrality of digitalisation to Ghana’s economic growth and governance. The Mahama-led team is now attempting to build upon the very infrastructure and policies established under Dr. Bawumia’s leadership, from the Ghana Card and mobile interoperability platform to the digital property address system, e-pharmacy, e-passport integration, digital revenue mobilisation, and the celebrated paperless ports system.
What changed?
The truth finally caught up with politics.
Bawumia: The Visionary for a Digital Future
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is not just another politician. He is a generational thinker whose vision aligns seamlessly with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
In a world where technology drives trade, healthcare, education, security, and finance, Ghana cannot afford a leader who only embraces innovation after it becomes globally fashionable. The nation needs a leader who sees tomorrow today —and prepares for it. That leader is Dr. Bawumia.
As Peter Howard wrote in Ideas Have Legs:
“Every great movement starts not with a slogan, but with an idea. And ideas, like people, travel, they change lives, build nations, and write the future.”
Bawumia’s idea of digitalisation was never an elitist dream. It was a deliberate, practical strategy to lift Ghana from manual inefficiency and corruption to a future of transparency, speed, inclusion, and resilience. From the e-justice platform and digital hospital systems to smart revenue collection and e-pharmacy services, his initiatives were ahead of their time — and today, even his critics have joined the race to catch up.
Why the NPP Must Not Miss This Moment
As the New Patriotic Party heads into its presidential primaries, one truth must be recognised:
Dr. Bawumia represents the bridge between tradition and transformation.
While others remain preoccupied with yesterday’s challenges, Bawumia is offering solutions for tomorrow, a youth-driven, technology-powered, and globally competitive Ghana.
This is not a season for experiments, nostalgia, or populism. Ghana cannot afford to gamble with leadership when the world is advancing at digital speed. Dr. Bawumia is the only NPP candidate who has:
Turned big ideas into functioning national systems
Built strong global networks in fintech, digital governance, and public policy
Shown humility in the face of challenges and courage to reform systems
Earned trust across the youth, professionals, diaspora, and grassroots communities
Let us be reminded: popularity without policy is mere noise, and sacrifice without strategy cannot build the Ghana we desire.
Dr. Bawumia has sacrificed. He has served. But above all, he has thought, and Ghana needs a thinker. A leader with ideas that move, ideas that build, and ideas that last.
A Defining Choice for Ghana’s Future
The NPP cannot afford to miss this defining moment in its history.
Those who once mocked digitalisation must now admit that what they dismissed as theory has become the foundation of modern governance and economic progress.
It is leaders like Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, not those still playing catch-up who have the vision, discipline, and foresight to lead Ghana confidently into 2028 and beyond.
#Bawumia2028 | #IdeasHaveLegs | #DigitalGhana | #NPPDecides | #GenerationalLeader
© Captain Biko, 2025
About the Author:
Captain Biko is a political commentator, social advocate, and communications strategist with a keen focus on governance, leadership, and national development. He writes frequently on issues of political reform, digital innovation, and Africa’s transformation agenda.
