Unsuccessful NPP MP aspirants unite to work for victory

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has charged unsuccessful parliamentary aspirants of the NPP to actively get on board the 2020 campaign to help avoid voter apathy in the December elections.

He said they must join forces with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the aspiring members of Parliament so that the road map for the party will be achieved.

“We need a resounding victory for the President and MPs so put in 100 percent effort so the road map is achieved,” the Vice -President emphasised when he formally launched the “aspirants unite for victory campaign for the NPP in Accra Monday.

Background

The aspirants unite for victory, is a group of 220 unsuccessful parliamentary aspirants and 42 sitting MPs who lost the parliamentary primaries of the NPP but who have buried their differences and put the defeat behind them and have joined forces to work to ensure victory for the NPP in the December elections.

Among the strategies they have adopted for the campaign include regional tours, constituency visits, health walks and also to be very active on social media.

While commending the group for the initiative which he described as remarkable, Dr Bawumia said, “you had the right to grumble but you over looked your loss for the sake of President Akufo-Addo and the NPP.”

He said the unity exhibited by the group gave enough impetus to the party and so every effort would be made to support the group for a successful campaign.

He said the NPP have a team which is solidly knitted together for victory this year because it had stayed true to the people by delivering most of its promises.

He, however, stressed the need unity at all times saying “ a house divided by itself cannot stand.”

Dr Bawumia advised the group to continue with the agenda of their movement beyond this years elections saying their coming together was a good sign for the demonstration of unflinching love for the NPP and urged them to continue to showcase their love for the party even more in opposition.

Comparison

Comparing the eight years of NDC from January 2009 to January 2017 to the three and a half years of the NPP, the Vice-President said there was so much at stake for the future of Ghana and that voting for NDC and former President John Mahama would mean retrogression.

He described the former President as “incompetent, visionless and one who is not credible” saying “he was the one who banned okada but he says he would now legalize okada if he should come back. He introduced the teachers licensure examinations but now he is saying he will cancel it when he gets the chance. Again, he said free SHS was not possible and that even if he had the money he won’t invest in free SHS but now he is saying he will extend it to private schools,” Vice-President Bawumia stated and stressed that “ it was not just about winning elections but you must have the vision”.

Speaker of Parliament

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Oquaye, who chaired the ceremony asked the aspirants in the NPP parliamentary elections who lost to root for President Akufo-Addo as well as all parliamentary candidates because the president and his vice would need a strong and majority representation in parliament.

“Loyalty is the duty of true party members and so do not encourage skirt and blouse,” he stressed.

Prof Oquaye described the meeting as unprecedented because after every parliamentary primary of the party there was too much friction and misunderstandings and urged the unsuccessful parliamentary aspirants to be patient even in their difficulty.

He further advised them to rally behind their colleagues who will be contesting the national elections while thinking about how to reform the process in future NPP parliamentary primaries.

Personal interests

The National Organiser of the NPP, Mr Sammy Awuku, for his part commended the aspirants for choosing the NPP over their personal interests and urged them to unite to work together for victory.

He said victory in this years elections would not come on a silver platter and therefore the NPP needs everyone on board.

On acrimony and name calling which usually characterized the parties primaries and other elections, the NPP National Organiser, appealed to the group and members of the party at large to help ensure that elections of the party was devoid of personality attacks and character assassinations.

A defeated aspirant for Nhyiaso constituency in the Ashanti region and a convener of the aspirants for victory movement, Mr Kennedy Kwasi Kankam, said defeat teaches lessons and helps in re-organisation. 

Therefore, he said, if the unsuccessful candidates were well managed and supported they were poised to work for victory.

“We have resolved that we are going to work for victory for the party and beyond and that is manifested in the funding and organization of this event which we did all by ourselves,” he said and gave the assurance that they would work to bring victory by increasing further the percentage votes.