
Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia yesterday started the journey of actualising his bold ambition to lead the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), by picking up his nomination forms to take part in the party’s upcoming presidential nomination slated for November 4, this year.
Representing the Vice-President, a former Vice Chairman of the NPP, Fred Oware, collected the documents alongside former National Organiser Sammy Awuku and former Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Dr. George Ayisi-Boateng.
An earlier attempt by members of the “Bawumia Fun Club” to pick up the forms for him was turned down by the party’s leadership last Friday because the group had no authorisation from the campaign team of the Vice-President.
Interacting with the media on why the team was not flanked by party supporters, Mr Oware explained that it “was a private assignment.”
Backing this stance, Mr Sammi Awuku added that Dr. Bawumia would be prepared to speak with the media after the submission of the nomination forms.
Other candidates who have already picked their nomination forms include former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former Member of Parliament for Mampong, Francis Addai-Nimo, and economist Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku.
The remaining potential candidates are former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, and former Minister of Railways Development, Joe Ghartey.
Critical support
Earlier this month, Dr Bawumia declared his intention to lead the NPP to the Majority Caucus in Parliament after an emergency reconvening by the House to approve six international loans totalling $750 million.
During the meeting, about 90 percent of the Majority Caucus in Parliament were said to have declared their support for the bid of the Vice-President.
“We have declared our unflinching support to the Vice-President, and we hope it could even be more,” the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, told the media.
The Majority Chief Whip said the unanimous endorsement by the group gives little chance to the other eight contestants vying for the single slot to get such massive endorsement.
Despite the endorsement en bloc by the majority group, Dr. Bawumia and three-time runner, Alan Kyerematen, have been considered the front runners for the single slot.
The meeting with the majority group formed part of the Vice-President’s engagement with key stakeholders of the party to inform them about his intention to run for the presidency.
Dr. Bawumia believes that with the current achievement of the party, when members are united and persevered, “we can break the eight-year cycle of the country’s political cycle with me.”
Ahead of the November presidential nomination, the Vice-President has already crafted messages to win the hearts of delegates, one of which reads: “Unity and perseverance. Together we can succeed. It is possible.”
At the meeting, Dr. Bawumia said he was ready to work with all MPs to win majority seats in Parliament and put the icing on the cake with a victory in the presidential election.
Breaking the 8
Meanwhile, over the weekend, with reiterating his intentions at an informal meeting with NPP supporters in Hohoe to contest the party’s flagbearership race in November, Dr Bawumia said his desire is to lead the NPP to win the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
“I want you to know that I appreciate your support. We are going to ‘break the 8’. First of all, we are going to file for the flagbearership, which I’m going to do, win the flagbearership, break the 8, and go to Jubilee House. That is what I’m going to do,” he stated.