… Bawumia’s team drops bombshell ahead of Saturday’s NPP presidential primaries
Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Suhum, has revealed that the controversial presidential aspirant of the governing New New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, was demanding US$500 million worth of contracts annually from Vice President Bawumia when he becomes President.
Kennedy, according to Frederick Opare-Ansah, wanted that assurance for the Bawumia camp to step down from contesting the presidential slot of the party to the November 4, 2023 primaries.
The ex-MP, who is a key member of the Bawumia camp, disclosed that the Assin Central MP went to the Vice President to make the demand on the assumption that, if Dr Bawumia agreed to it, then he wouldn’t contest him in the NPP’s election slated for Saturday, but the Vice President, rejected his demand, hence the decision to join the race.
Earlier this month, the campaign team of Bawumia, discredited claims that they attempted to get Kennedy Agyepong, to accept to be a running mate for the 2024 polls.
This was after Mr Agyepong told supporters of the NPP at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi that, the Vice president’s campaign team, attempted to bribe him to accept the offer, but he refused.
However, a fresh claim has emerged from the former Suhum MP, while speaking on Wontumi TV, where he described Kennedy Agyapong as a “selfish” individual who had benefitted enormously from the NPP government, but pretended he hadn’t gotten anything.
Mr Opare Ansah’s reaction, follows Kennedy Agyapong’s claims recently that some party gurus are on his neck, asking him to step down from the contest to pave the way for the Vice President.
The Assin Central MP, recently when speaking at a forum held in Kumasi accused the party bigwigs of chasing him with bribes to step down for the Vice President.
According to him “I am not going to step down for anybody, when you win, then you win, so all of us, if we have to come together, then we come together. But coming together will depend on how we will conduct this November 4 election because how they treated all of us on the 26th, I think it is not proper’’.
He said, he is determined to go the full haul and is prepared to accept the outcome, regardless of who emerges as the winner.
However, Opare Ansah, who was responding to some allegations made by Kennedy Agyapong against him (Opare Ansah) for also demanding a bribe from him (Kennedy Agyapong) before joining his campaign team, warned the Assin Central MP to stop moving around and lying against the Vice President and himself.
He also warned Kennedy Agyapong, not to assume he is the only “man” in the NPP, noting that “he is always claiming he will spill the secrets of the government. You can’t scare anybody in the future government of Bawumia.”
Further on “People like him are the reason we are where we are today. Selfish man, had it not been for the NPP, would you be where you are in life?” Opare-Ansah quizzed.
He further warned Kennedy Agyapong and his team, not to harm any person in the impending presidential primaries at Assin Central.
“You think you are the only man with information? Kennedy Agyapong shouldn’t think he can destroy the NPP. If he touches a single soul in Assin Central, he will see what we will do”, he said.
Mr Opare Ansah, insisted that the Vice President, Dr Bawumia would beat Kennedy Agyapong in the upcoming presidential primaries of the governing NPP, which Politics will force him (Kennedy Agyapong) to sleep before 6 pm on the night of 4th November 2023.
According to Opare Ansah, he will be in the central region specifically Assin Central on the day of voting to teach Kennedy Agyapong a life lesson when it comes to elections.
Opare Ansah emphatically stated “We will beat him in the Central region in terms of the election numbers and when we are done, he shouldn’t dare act like he will create confusion. I will put him to sleep early in the Central region. He will sleep before 6, if he jokes with me I will let him sleep before the clock reads 6”.
He also warned Kennedy Agyapong not to assume he is the only “man” in the NPP by noting that “he is always claiming he will spill the secrets of the government. You can’t scare anybody in the future government of Bawumia.”
The former Suhum MP also accused Kennedy Agyapong of visa racketeering before entering parliament.
Threatening to reveal more dark side businesses run by the MP of Assin Central, Opare-Ansah claimed “You were into visa racketeering but some of us were managing our own IT firms”.
He also described Kennedy Agyapong as a “selfish” individual who had benefited enormously from the NPP government but pretended he hadn’t gotten anything.
“People like him are the reason we are where we are today. Selfish man, had it not been for the NPP, would you be where you are in life?” Opare-Ansah quizzed.
He further warned Kennedy Agyapong and his team not to harm any person in the impending presidential primaries at Assin Central.
“You think you are the only man with information? Kennedy Agyapong shouldn’t think he can destroy the NPP. If he touches a single soul in Assin Central, he will see what we will do”, he said.
Kennedy Agyapong during the Kumasi walk where he made the claim, failed to mention the amount, the date he was approached and the name of the person from the Bawumia camp, who made contact with him.
But the Vice President’s campaign team in a swift response said at no point was Mr Agyepong approached “for such a running mate offer, nor have we assigned any member of the team to approach him for the same.”
The campaign team in a statement signed by the Vice President’s spokesperson, Gideon Boako, also denied allegations that Dr Bawumia is collapsing the NPP through intimidation.
Vice President Bawumia won the NPP’s Super Delegates Conference on August 26, 2023, with a total of 629 votes, representing 68.15percentof the votes, while the Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong, came in second with 132 votes, or 14.30percent, against former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen’s third-place 95 votes, or 10.29percent.
Addressing supporters who took part in the Showdown Walk, Mr Agyapong, said he would operate “an eye for eye” policy during the election and that he would not allow anyone to bully him.
“I’m not like Alan who is gentle, let them try…” Ken warned amidst thunderous cheers from his supporters.
