Former Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), has issued a caution to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, advising him against becoming complacent despite his resounding victory in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) super delegates conference.
Mornah revealed that his interactions with NPP grassroots members in the Upper West Region indicated that they were not favorably inclined towards the vice president’s aspirations to become the party’s flagbearer.
This skepticism, he explained, stemmed from their perception that Bawumia had contributed to the economic challenges that the Akufo-Addo-led government had imposed on the Ghanaian populace.
Highlighting a potential risk, the former PNC chairman warned that if Dr. Bawumia’s campaign team were to relax their efforts due to the outcome of the Super Delegates Conference, they might encounter difficulties in the upcoming special delegates congress scheduled for November 4.
Speaking during a panel discussion on TV3 on August 28, 2023, Bernard Mornah advised Dr. Bawumia and his team to meticulously analyze the election results and concentrate on persuading the grassroots to secure his victory as the NPP’s flagbearer.
“In my opinion, the vice president’s office should be worried. His campaign team should do a thorough review because what transpired [at the super delegates conference] does not mean it would be the same result on November 4, it won’t be. The last time I went to the Upper West region, most of the NPP members who will partake in the November 4 elections didn’t have the same mindset as President Akufo-Addo but they couldn’t speak. Because they were waiting for the super delegates conference to come to an end.
“After interacting with some of them [NPP members], they said that if the governance of President Akufo-Addo is not going well, then the vice president is part and can’t dissociate himself from it and say his ideas weren’t heeded by Akufo-Addo,” he noted.
Background
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia emerged as the frontrunner in the New Patriotic Party Super Delegates Conference. Results from all 17 voting centers across the country show Bawumia secured 629 votes (68.15%), followed by Kennedy Agyapong with 132 votes (14.30%) and Alan Kyerematen with 95 votes (10.29%) in the August 26, 2023 elections.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto claimed fourth place with 36 votes (3.90%). Boakye Agyarko and Francis Addai-Nimoh tied in fifth with 9 votes each (0.98%).
Joe Ghartey received 4 votes, Kwadwo Poku got 3 votes, Kwabena Agyepong secured 5 votes, while Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku garnered no votes.
This Super Delegates Conference aims to narrow down the pool of contenders for the NPP’s presidential candidacy in the 2024 general election.
Ten NPP candidates participated, with the goal of selecting five for another round of voting in November. The final round will determine the NPP’s official presidential candidate for the 2024 general elections.