Media personality Okatakyie Afrifa has strongly rebuked Fiifi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for his recent tribal comments.
Afrifa condemned Kwetey’s statement suggesting that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia couldn’t be the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer due to his Northern heritage, deeming it reckless.
Afrifa went on to question Kwetey about his assertion that the NPP is an Akan party and challenged him on why the NDC has never chosen an individual from the Ashanti region as a running mate.
The controversy stemmed from Fiifi Kwetey’s remark, which ignited a heated exchange between the two figures.
“Is Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia dreaming that in the unlikely event of NPP winning power, somehow after Akufo-Addo has run his term he [Bawumia] will be made the candidate of the NPP, Bawumia are you dreaming? You don’t the party in which you are? You don’t know that if you are not an Ashanti or Akyem you have no chance?”
Following Fiifi Kwetey’s remarks about Dr. Bawumia becoming the NPP flagbearer, Okatakyie Afrifa criticized him, stating that such tribalistic comments contribute nothing positive to the political discourse.
Afrifa highlighted that, by the same logic, others could accuse the NDC of being an ‘anti-Ashanti’ party since they have never appointed an Ashanti person as their running mate.
“What Fiifi Kwetey said there is no sense in it. What is the meaning of this? Fiifi Kwaetey’s party [NDC] asked him if from 1992 to date they had even selected an Ashanti as his running mate. Even the NPP at least used to choose Northerners as running mates. We are asking him even the party chairman, if have they elected an Ashanti person before. These kinds of reckless statements politicians make in this country and they think it is normal.
“For politics’ sake, we crush our heads. He said he can’t be today Dr. Bawumia is the flagbearer of the NPP. Is the conversation supposed to be about tribes? You are the ones campaigning for Akan votes yet from 1992 to date you have not selected an Ashanti as running mate before. So should we say your party is anti-Ashanti? Going into the 2024 elections we are going to police the political arena,” he said during his show on Angel FM.
His remarks follow the victory of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the NPP Primaries, officially securing the flagbearer position for the party in the upcoming 2024 elections.
Official results revealed that Dr. Bawumia clinched the victory with 118,210 votes, representing 61.47% of the total votes cast. Kennedy Agyapong, the closest contender, secured the second position with 71,996 votes, constituting 35.52% of the total valid votes.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto received 1,459 votes, while the fourth contender garnered 781 votes.