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President of a group affiliated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the northern region, describing itself as Concerned Northern Grassroots of NPP, Mumuni Abdul Rahaman says for the NPP to break the eight (8) years jinx in the Ghanaian politics, they should look for a better candidate elsewhere, rather than depending on the vice president, Dr. Mahamoud Bawumia.
The group said this at a press conference in Tamale today, April 8, to react to the comments by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu that it is unwise for a Akan to lead the NPP as next flagbearer after president Nana Addo succeeding President Kufour.
According to the group, Dr. Bawumia couldn’t help the party in getting more votes to enable them win more seats, adding that the NPP rather lost more seats in Upper West and East regions.
“Northeast has six (6) constituencies. NPP wok 4. NDC 2. The most interesting story is the only 2nd cabinet minister in the North and only cabinet minister in Northeast, Hajia Halima Mahama was voted out. The 1st Regional Minister of the region, Solomon Boah, my good friend was voted out. These are some of the genuine questions that need to be answered. Go and check the number of seats NPP had Upper West in 2016. 2020, was it the same? Upper East Region, the number of seats, are they the same?”, the president asked.
Mr. Mumuni Abdul Rahaman further stated that the number of seats the NPP had in the three (3) regions are eighteen (18), and can not be compared to the forty two (42) seats the party had in the Ashante Region.
“Our own record. Our own performance suggest Bawumia is unfit. He is just not a healthy candidate. The moment we risk. We risk Bawumia, it is a way to opposition. The 5 northern regions, we gave 18 constituencies to NPP. Ashante Region alone gave NPP 42. If I want to establish a yam factory. And I took it to where they don’t farm yam, will I survive in that business?”, he wondered.
The group however used the opportunity to tell the Majority Leader that, Akan is not limited to Asante and aAkyem, saying it includes Fantes, and that his statement is “unfortunate”.
“Moreover, Akan cannot be restricted to Asante and Akyem. Among others Brong, Fantse, Kwehus and related tribes are all Akans. The NPP also has Ga Adangbes, Ewes and others who have never been elected as Vice Presidents before unlike some of our people from the Northern and Upper Regions. If those people too thoughtlessly said the Vice President’s position is not for Northern, Upper East and Upper West indigenes how could we have had two successive Vice Presidents coming from those areas?”, the assistant secretary, Sayibu Gafaru concluded.
Meanwhile, Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu denied campaigning for the vice president because he want to be a running, emphasising that he has on countless occasions mentioned name of person he wasn’t to partner the next NPP flagbearer.
“Tve never said that we should give it to Bawumia because he is not the only one from the North or from the Minority part of the country. What I’m saying is that we need to look at who when he’s given the mandate will be better for the party”, the majority leader said on OKAY FM.
“I have said that if the party will build a consensus on selecting one person from the Minority in party then we make Alan his running mate so that there will be peace in the party but people are not following what I’m saying and they think l’m creating space for myself to become the running mate. As far as running mate is concerned, people who have listened to me knovw that l’ve mentioned a name of who I want to be a running mate,” he added.