Failed Presidential aspirant on the ticket of the People's National Convention(PNC), Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, has advised Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to shift his campaign messaging from defending national government policies to addressing key internal party concerns as he seeks to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) into the 2028 general elections.

Speaking on Accra-based CTV’s morning show “Oman Ghana Nkosuo” programme hosted by Obapa Yaa Titi, Mr. Mornah made the comments in reaction to a viral video highlighting the removal of over 44,000 ghost names from the National Service Scheme (NSS) payroll through the use of the Ghanacard.

While commending the achievement as a step toward transparency and efficiency in public administration, he cautioned that such governance-based narratives should not dominate Dr. Bawumia’s campaign, particularly in engagements with party delegates.

“Dr. Bawumia is not contesting a national election; he is contesting to win the hearts of his party people,” Mr. Mornah emphasised.

“Messages and communication should generally be about issues that are delegate-centred.”

Mr. Mornah acknowledged the Ghanacard initiative as one of the government’s most significant and transformative reforms, describing it as essential for enhancing accountability, visibility, and access to public services.

“The Ghanacard is very necessary. It makes you visible to the Ghanaian system—you even need it to open a bank account,” he remarked.

He also referenced Dr. Bawumia’s famous statement that “one Ghanacard is better than ten interchanges,” noting that while it underscored the government’s commitment to digitalisation, such statements may not resonate strongly with the party's grassroots during internal elections.

According to Mr. Mornah, political communication must be tailored to the audience and context.

He urged the Vice President to prioritise messages that reflect party unity, welfare, renewal, and future strategy over policy justification.

“My advice is that Dr. Bawumia should not be justifying some of the issues that pushed them out of power.

Delegates want to hear about plans for the party’s revival and internal cohesion,” he said.

He added that although the Ghanacard has significantly benefited state institutions such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and improved public sector efficiency, party-focused communication is key at this stage of Dr. Bawumia’s political journey.

“The Ghanacard has proven to be a very effective national identification tool, and it’s helping agencies like EOCO.

But campaign messages must be strategic and reflect the audience being addressed,” Mr. Mornah reiterated.