Member of Parliament for Tema West Constituency, Carlos Ahenkorah, has criticized certain members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for pressuring the party’s flagbearer and leader, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to choose his running mate from their faction ahead of the December 2024 elections.
The legislator expressed disbelief at the rationale behind the pressure on Dr. Bawumia to consider their preferred candidate, stating that such consistent pressure could potentially weaken the party’s structure.
Speaking on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’ on Tuesday, April 16, he said, “NPP has never experienced such an occurrence before as we are experiencing now. It is not as if they are lobbying. That would have been better but to engage in an open campaign stating that if the flagbearer does not pick their person, the party will not win the December elections is unfounded. Such an attitude should not be entertained and encouraged in our party. This is weakening our party. It is giving the flagbearer unnecessary pressure’’.
Carlos Ahenkorah also reflected on the era of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, highlighting the surprise among many party members when he chose the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama as his running mate.
“Nobody knew how President John Agyekum Kufuor selected Aliu Mahama as his running mate but it was his choice, and by the constitution of the NPP, the flagbearer has the prerogative to choose whoever he wishes to be his running mate.”
The recent factions within the NPP, where some party members and constituency executives are openly pressuring the vice president to choose a candidate from their camp, as stated by the Tema West lawmaker, have the potential to divide the New Patriotic Party.
“If care is not taken, the people you are openly campaigning for to become the running mate might overshadow the flagbearer in terms of popularity, which is not good for us as a party ahead of the December general elections.
“If we are all to present our preferred candidate for the slot for a running mate, whose will be considered?” he quizzed, adding that, “the reason this will weaken the party is that should the flagbearer decide to choose another person entirely different from your choice, the groups will be disappointed and then they will develop cold feet towards the party. Some of them will not even vote for the party during the elections. Their relatives will be disappointed with the reason being that their relatives have been snubbed by the flagbearer.”
“… let’s stop these things and allow the flagbearer to choose the person who best fits,’’ he added.
He quickly added that if the vice president and the NPP’s presidential candidate had chosen his running mate earlier, the pressure currently being mounted on him would not have occurred.
“I will urge the vice president to select his running mate to put an end to the unnecessary pressure being mounted on him.”