I’m politically experienced to lead NPP — Dr Bawumia

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has said he is more politically experienced to win the flagbearership race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and defeat the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2024 general election.

He said his track record as a running mate for the party four consecutive times, Vice-President for two terms and his experience in the economic management performance of the country put him ahead in the flagbearership contest.

“Our party, the NPP, wants to break the eight (8) and we can’t just break the 8, but break it with winnable candidate that has the qualities and credibility to break it.

I am from the north, and John Dramani Mahama is also from the north and, therefore, I will be able to infiltrate into the northern stronghold of the NDC for victory in 2024,” the Vice-President assured.

Addressing delegates at Somanya last Sunday, the Vice-President said even though he had better job opportunities outside the country at the time he was to partner President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he abandoned them to join the campaign team to win the 2016 election.

Disaffection

The Vice-President, also a flag bearer hopeful of the NPP, who was accompanied by a number of Members of Parliament and the Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Acheampong, said one major challenge facing the NPP was factionalism, which was creating disaffection within the rank and file of the party.

He said as a unifier, the unity of the party would be his preoccupation after getting the nod to lead the party into the 2024 general election.

Dr Bawumia recounted a number of social interventions including the Free Senior High School, Technical Vocational Education, Zongo Development Fund among others that the NPP government including him has implemented.

He said those were the trump cards that would defeat the main opposition party, the NDC.

Policies

He also mentioned a number of new policies he would bring on board including Ghana card for children at their birth and Ghana card that would be used to trace any passport that was lost.

“Ladies and gentlemen, nobody should deceive you that I will not be capable of handling the economy for that matter the country when given the nod as the flag bearer and eventually as the next President of this country,” he said. 

Credibility and experience

   The Vice- President told the delegates that out of the 10 NPP aspirants, he is the target of their opposition, the NDC simply because of his credibility and experience, saying ‘’For we are not just looking for flag bearer, but want the one with vision, credibility, creativity, humility and tolerance.

He therefore urged the delegates of the party to give him the nod to lead the party to a third successive victory in the 2024 general election.

The Yilo Krobo Municipal Chief Executive, Eric Tetteh, and the constituency chairman Abubakar Teye assured the Vice President that Yilo Krobo had no other choice than Dr Bawumia for the flagbearership race for the success of the party. 

Background

The NPP will hold its Special Electoral College election on August 26, 2023 to prune down the number of the presidential aspirants from 10 to five for the party’s national delegates congress on November 4, 2023 to elect a flag bearer to lead the party into the 2024 general election.