Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the Chief S.D. Dombo Tradition

The NPP has an interesting tradition. A tradition that requires a profound knowledge of history to be able to clearly appreciate, the toils and sacrifices of our founding fathers.

Chief S.D Dombo from Jirapa in the Upper West Region is one of the founding members of the New Patriotic Party’s ideology. The other two are J.B Danquah and Dr. K.A Busia. S.D Dombo surrendered his legitimate claim of ownership and leadership of the New Patriotic Party all in the supreme interest of the general good of the then United Party.

Under normal circumstances, S.D Dombo should have been the leader and founder of the United Party, an amalgamation of his Northern People’s Party and Busia's Ghana Congress Party (G.C.P) and Baffour Akoto’s National Liberation Movement (NLM). Chief Dombo came into the alliance with Fifteen (15) seats from his N.P.P whereas Dr. Busia came with just one (1) seat. To offer the leadership of the party to Dr. Busia at that material moment was the clearest sacrificial act of service that should be reciprocated now.

The likes of Messr B.K Adama, Chief Abayifaa Karbo, Messr Kaleo Jaato, Chief Mumuni Dimbie, Messr Mimuni Bawumia, and Chief S.D Dombo among others are the pioneers of the NPP tradition. They saw the need to create a political vehicle that would help address the developmental needs of the country.

They started with the Northern Youth Association championed by S.D Dombo and Mummuni Bawumia. I must emphasize that S.D Dombo and Mimuni Bawumiah were instrumental in the formation of the Northern People’s Party (N.P.P) in 1954. They did not join Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (C.P.P).

The N.P.P Contested the 1956 election and won fifteen (15) seats, Kwame Nkrumah’s C.P.P won Seventy-One (71) seats while the National Liberation Movement (N.L.M) which was mainly made up of Asantes who broke away from the C.P.P won Twelve (12) seats. The NPP and the NLM later formed an alliance, the United Party (UP).

The Dombos in the NPP has an age-long struggle to benefit from the struggle and remarkable contributions of their forefathers. Their pioneering fathers were not given to hocus – pocus. Even in the most difficult times when many a politician would throw principles to the dogs, they passed the test of loyalty to themselves and their political tradition.

Not even juicy promises of high political appointments and intimidations that dangled before Chief Dombo could set him to resign from his party and join the Convention People’s Party (C.P.P). Chief Dombo has left a legacy of courage, loyalty, selflessness, and patriotism. His relevance as a political thinker will continue to glow in the polity of the NPP tradition. His contributions to the progress of the NPP tradition are indispensable. This is the best time for him to be rewarded.

The Dombos are determined. They will feel neglected that the sacrifices and compromises of the revered SD Dombo have not been duly recognized and appreciated if the leadership of the party doesn’t come to them this time judging from the fact that they have a capable, competent, intelligent, humble and loyal son in the person of Alhaji Dr. Mahamud Bawumia, the current vice president.

We must be mindful of the sacrifices borne by our founding fathers so that we remain faithful to their ideals. We must carry forward the precious gift, that noble idea of compromise and sacrifice passed on from them. We need to carry the memory of the history that they made together and we will have a lifelong appreciation of our tradition.

The NPP needs to make sacrifices and compromises like what Chief S.D Dombo did. We hope the delegates and the stakeholders of our party will do the needful.