A group of New Patriotic Party (NPP) comprising grassroots supporters and non-affiliated individuals who strongly back Dr. Mahammudu Bawumia, the party’s Flagbearer, have called for all to honor his independence in selecting his vice-presidential candidate without unwarranted influence.
The Patriotic Movement for Bawumia has urged Dr. Bawumia to stand firm against external influences from different factions within the party. These factions have been advocating for their favored candidates to be chosen as his running mate.
The group has expressed disapproval towards specific actions and strategies utilized by certain factions within the party. These include holding press conferences, continuously sending delegations to Dr. Bawumia, submitting petitions, and making threatening statements in the media. All of these efforts are intended to pressure Dr. Bawumia into choosing their preferred candidate as his running mate.
The Patriotic Movement for Bawumia’s leadership has counseled Dr. Bawumia to maintain his standing as a visionary leader and to exhibit the bravery in choosing a running mate whom he deems most suitable to accompany him in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
We are humbly advising our flag-bearer, His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia not to allow any individual or groups, to compel him or lure him into choosing a running mate against his actual or real choice. Allowing yourself to be manipulated in this manner has dire consequences on the party’s victory in this year’s presidential election.
The group has expressed concerns about the potential consequences of succumbing to pressure from party members, political analysts, and campaigners to choose a running mate from their factions. They believe that such a decision would lead to significant disunity and longstanding divisions within the party, jeopardizing the NPP’s chances of winning the 2024 presidential election.
It is sad to note that the NPP members who must have been vigorously campaigning for our flag-bearer, are at this crucial moment, busily exerting all their energies on adopting various diabolic strategies to force a running mate on Dr. Bawumia. This is absurd and must be condemned by all persons who mean well for the party.
The statement also raised the inquiry.
Now, the problem we have at hand is, if our flag-bearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia chooses any of the people being forced on him by groups and individuals, through press conferences with threats, deliberate media interviews, campaigning flyers, delegations to him, etc, how would the other factions and neutral members of the party feel, react and respond to the announcement of such a choice?
They have advised against supporting groups or individuals or employing unconventional methods to manipulate the flag-bearer’s decision in selecting a running mate for the upcoming election.
Some of the people whose names have popped up as being interested in being Dr. Bawumia’s running mate have been accused of sponsoring people to hold press conferences and sign petitions to forcefully cause our flag-bearer, Dr. Bawumia make them his running mate. This childish modus, and odd way of operating in the NPP, if true, must be condemned in no uncertain terms. Selecting a running mate is the prerogative of the flag-bearer, and under no circumstance must he or she be made to choose a running mate under duress. Furthermore, this weak means of getting a person to become a running mate, has never been the NPP’s style; it is too disgracing and must cease forthwith.
The group also urged that individuals determined to impose a candidate on Dr. Bawumia should avoid creating a scenario during his tenure that contrasts with those of his predecessors. Consequently, they have called on the NPP’s presidential candidate to ignore any endorsements, whether present, past, or future.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia ‘is his own man’, let us allow him to select someone he has tested and finds capable of helping him lead the NPP to break the eight and consequently directing the next NPP government to continue to bring the needed development for our beloved country, Ghana.
