The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has said that his main focus is to share his ideas and project the good works of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to party stakeholders, as he tours around the country, ahead of the party’s flagbearership race.
Speaking to NPP delegates in Asutifi in the Ahafo Region, Dr Bawumia, said he does not believe in attacking his opponents in an internal contest when the ultimate objective of every member of the NPP is to see the party defeat the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2024.
While, the Vice-President was at it, his spokesperson, Dr Gideon Boako, was bemoaning the incessant vicious attacks and insults on the person of Dr Bawumia by other aspirants in the NPP flagbearership race, especially Kennedy Agyapong.
Dr. Bawumia, told the NPP supporters, “I don’t believe in attacking my opponents and I won’t do that because it will be toxic and won’t be good for our party”.
“This is an internal contest to elect our flagbearer, so why should I attack my opponents or say something against our party? I am running a very decent campaign. I am selling my ideas to delegates and I do that with decorum, with humility, with respect and without mentioning anybody’s name.”
The Vice President, also said he has cautioned his campaign team members and spokesperson not to attack anybody, even if he is attacked by any aspirant, in the interest of the party.
“This should be a contest of ideas, not insults. So I have told all my staff not to insult or attack anyone. They should stick to sharing my vision and message to delegates. I have told them that even if I am attacked or insulted, they, should not respond because I am a unifier.”
Dr Boako, while commending Dr Bawumia for taking the insults and attacks in his stride, noted that such actions by his opponents, will not win them the flagbearership race.
He stressed that, despite the denigration, Dr Bawumia, remains focused on his campaign, and is in pole position to win the November 4, 2023 National Delegates Conference and lead the NPP into the 2024 General Elections.
For him, no amount of insults or attacks, will prevent Dr Bawumia from winning the race.
Full statement of Dr Gideon Boako below:
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is a good man. Yes, he is a good man. In the flagbearer elections campaign, Dr Bawumia is the most attacked, the most abused, the most vilified, the most disrespected, the most denigrated, and what and what, but he is still calm and very focused.
He has not been responding to his attackers and has not shown any sign of the same. I wonder how many of his competitors can do the same. Interestingly, those exhibiting such abusive attitudes against the Veep are the ones crying the most. How interesting it is. First, it was Alan’s supporters. Now it is Ken and his supporters, but Bawumia still remains calm.
They even are not ashamed to lie about the dead mother of the Veep. Really? It is shocking how politics can get us to even lose our respect for the dead. Let them continue, and they will lose and lose big and come and cry like hungry babies with no parents.
The reality is that NPP delegates know what time it is, and they choose their leaders recognizing the dynamics of the times and seasons.
I can understand the desperation and frustration in some of the aspirants, hence the needless attacks. But let it be told that their insults and attacks on the person of the Vice President and his family cannot win them the elections. What didn’t we see or hear before the super delegates and what happened?
I thought they said the Grassroots are for them. Why not go to them to campaign? Dr Bawumia is a serious campaigner. Despite the clear signs on the wall, he has been busily focusing on his campaign and crisscrossing the country, sometimes traversing multiple regions in a day. Some people will not focus and be serious about their campaign but only insult, and when they lose, they say what!
Interestingly, the NPP MP of Parliament for Oforikrom, Emmanuel Marfo, has accused Kennedy Agyapong, a flagbearer hopeful of the party, of undermining the party’s leadership and the government.
Speaking in an interview on Oyerepa TV, Marfo said that rather than telling Ghanaians what he would do differently as president, Ken is going around castigating the current government.
“Sometimes when you reduce the whole situation to one person then you are undermining the whole party and the whole government as if we are all foolish.
“He (Ken Agyapong) is undermining the government and the party,” he said in Twi.
The Oforikrom legislator also said that Ken is failing to acknowledge the external factors that hit Ghana between 2020 and 2022.
He added that the presidential hopeful, who is also a Member of Parliament for Assin Central, has also failed to acknowledge that things are getting better in Ghana.
What Ken Agyapong said: “We lost the 2024 elections in 2022. At the time the Ghana cedi destroyed the hard work of many businessmen, all the way to the tomato seller. Ghanaians will never forget that.
“The time the middle class went to court because their monies were lost, and the time the pensioners had their monies gone, Ghanaians will remember that,” he stated.
He however reassured the people, telling them he was someone within the NPP who is always looking out for the masses and making sure no such situation happened again.
He has since explained that the comment was directed at fellow flagbearer contender, Vice President Bawumia.
Agyapong explained that the issue of currency depreciation which spiked in 2022 and the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) were the two main economic factors that caused many voters to make up their minds.
Speaking on Kumasi-based Kessben FM on September 18, 2023; the Assin North lawmaker clarified who the comment was directed at: “I did not make it clear on the day, let me state it here. I was referring to Bawumia. It was Bawumia who said if the fundamentals are weak the exchange rate will expose you, have I said that?” he quizzed.
“If I win (flagbearership), I can easily defend my stance because some policies by the current Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government, like Free SHS, 1D1F will be maintained but I will review all others.
“… Were my funds set aside that because I am an NPP person, it will not be affected by depreciation? If my money depreciated, am I the only affected businessman?” he asked.
