Following the victory of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, (NPP), the party can no longer be described as an ‘akan’ party.
The General Secretary, Justin Kodua, said Dr Bawumia’s victory has wiped that impression.
Addressing party supporters at the Accra Sports stadium where the final results of the NPP elections were announced on Saturday, November 4, he said “Today we have made history…” The NPP can no longer be called the Akan party. Not long ago, someone said the NPP will never elect a northern as its flagbearer.”
Former National Chair of the NPP, Peter Mac Manu, also made a similar comment after stating that Dr Bawumia’s victory defeats the claim by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the north has been their stronghold.
He told TV3 at the Accra Sports Stadium, the venue of the declaration of the final result of the NPP presidential primaries, “This is the first time NPP is choosing a candidate from the north.”
Asked how significant this is, he answered “It is very significant because NDC has been touting that the north is their stronghold…2024 we will see.”
He further, said that the internal democracy of the NPP, ensures that whoever is elected as flagbearer is supported by the entire rank and file of the party.
He stated that campaigns normally bring about divisions because two or more people compete for one position. But when the contest is over, they all come together to support the eventual winner.
Mr Mac Manu said, “Campaigning is bound to bring some division because two or more people compete but the internal democracy in NPP is that when we choose one person all of us rally behind that person.”
Former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, also indicated that Dr Bawumia’s victory shows how strong he is as a personality given that this is his first time contesting in such an election.
Mr Agyepong, a one-time flagbearer hopeful of the NPP, indicated that the party would now have to work to regain the confidence and respect of Ghanaians to win the 2024 general elections.
Also speaking in an interview with Egbeta at the Accra Sports Stadium, he said “This is the first time Dr Bawumia is contesting, and over 60% of votes show how strong he is.”
He added, “Let us get the narrative that will win the respect and confidence of Ghanaians.”
A professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo, also said that the Vice President has mastered the art of politicking.
Prof Gyampo, indicated that Dr Bawumia was able to reach out to delegates who were difficult to access by other aspirants and also knew how to talk to those who mattered in the electoral process.
He, however, said Dr Bawumia would have a huge task of defending the track record of the government as he tries to convince Ghanaians to vote for him in the 2024 general elections.
“How he is able to defend the track record and embarrassing situation of this government is an issue. Explaining that things are better today than when he became vice president is a huge task ahead of him. I congratulate him for winning. He has mastered the game of politicking, he knew how to talk to those who mattered, he knew how to reach out to those whom others could not reach out to.”
In Assin Central, their Member of Parliament Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, who stood in Saturday’s elections, polled 491 out of the total valid votes cast. His closest contender Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia had 16 votes.
The other two aspirants – Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Francis Addai-Nimoh – had no votes. In Assin South Constituency, Mr Agyapong polled 478 votes while Dr Bawumia polled 158 votes. Dr Afriyie Akoto and Mr Addai-Nimoh had 1 and 0 respectively.
From the Bolgatanga East Constituency in the Upper East Region, out of a total of 251 votes cast, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia polled 242 votes.
Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, polled 8 votes while Francis Addai-Nimoh, a former MP for Asante Mampong Constituency, had a single vote.
Former Food and Agriculture Minister Dr Owusus Afriyie Akoto had no votes.
In Bunkpurugu in the North East Region, it is a clean sweep of votes for the Vice President as he polled 522 out of 522.
The rest had no votes and there were no rejected nor spoilt ballots.
At Yagaba Kubori in the same region, the Vice President polled 366 votes with three (3) spoilt ballots.
The other three aspirants had no votes.
At the Party’s headquarters in Accra, where government officials voted, Dr Bawumia polled 254 votes out of a total of 393 valid votes while Mr Ohene Agyapong had 133 votes.
Mr Addai-Nimoh had 4 votes while Dr Afriyie Akoto had 4 votes.
