The Ghana Muslim Forum for Peace and Unity has strongly criticised Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah over his recent comments about the political future of former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, insisting that his destiny rests with God and not any individual.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, September 10, and signed by the Forum’s Executive Secretary, Dr Zakari Abdul Rahman, the group condemned what it described as Rev. Owusu Bempah’s latest attacks and threats against the former Vice President.
The statement follows comments made by Rev. Owusu Bempah during a church service on Sunday, September 6, in which he reportedly said Dr Bawumia could not become President unless he allowed it and threatened to end his political career spiritually if his communicators continued responding to him.
The pastor also alleged that Dr Bawumia and members of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Nasara Wing were planning to attack his church.
The latest comments come after Rev. Owusu Bempah’s August 9 declaration that anyone who votes for the NPP would be cursed and that Dr Bawumia would not become President during his lifetime.
‘Bawumia’s destiny is in God’s hands’
The Muslim Forum said Rev. Owusu Bempah should recognise that no individual has the power to determine another person’s destiny.
“We wish to remind Rev. Owusu Bempah that Bawumia’s destiny lies in the hands of God, not you. You did not create him, you do not sustain him, and you cannot determine his future,” the statement said.
The Forum cited passages from both the Qur’an and the Bible to support its position.
It referenced Qur’an 3:26, which states that God gives and takes sovereignty from whom He wills, as well as Daniel 2:21, which says God “deposes kings and raises up others.”
The group argued that if it is God’s will for Dr Bawumia to become President, no individual can prevent it, while if it is not, no human effort can make it happen.
It described the pastor’s conduct as an attempt to “play God” and a dangerous display of religious extremism.
“You are not God to decide who becomes President. Bawumia’s destiny is in the hands of God, not you,” the Forum stressed.
Forum defends Bawumia’s political journey
The Muslim Forum further argued that Dr Bawumia’s political career demonstrates that his progress has not been determined by any religious leader.
It noted that Dr Bawumia was elected NPP flagbearer by a predominantly Christian delegate body and secured 42 percent of the vote in the 2024 presidential election.
According to the Forum, the support he received from many Christian voters demonstrated that voters were influenced by considerations of competence and leadership rather than religion.
The group also rejected any suggestion that Rev. Owusu Bempah speaks for Ghana’s Christian community.
It said his alleged anti-Muslim campaign against Dr Bawumia does not represent the position of the majority of respected and enlightened Christian leaders in the country.
Call for calm and religious unity
The Forum urged Dr Bawumia to remain calm, ignore provocations and continue to trust in God.
It also called on Ghanaians to protect the country’s longstanding Christian-Muslim relations and avoid statements and actions that could inflame religious tensions.
The group stressed the importance of preserving Ghana’s tradition of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, particularly amid heightened political discussions ahead of the 2028 general elections.
