Akufo-Addo, others call for unity ahead of 2024 General elections
Bawumia, Alan Kyeremanten to slug it out in NPP flagbearership race
Political Marketing Strategist with the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), Dr. Kobby Mensah, has criticized organizers of the 2021 New Patriotic Party (NPP) national annual delegates conference for affording the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the opportunity to speak at the event.
Dr. Kobby Mensah believes that the act “was an unfair advantage” to the Vice president widely speculated to be interested in the NPP flagbearership position.
Detailing some factors that could impede the party’s intention to extend its 8-year stay in power, he mentioned that this did not bode well for it, as it could spark internal wrangling amongst camps also vying to be the party’s flagbearer.
“Given that the party would be seeking to do what has not been done before in the history of the Fourth Republic, how it handles its internal matters in a manner that demonstrate respect for its rules and show equal treatment for all, particularly within the context of a contest is crucial,” he said in a statement.
Dr. Kobby Mensah stressed that it will be politically naive for anyone not to take cognizance of the fact that allowing Dr. Bawumia to speak on the platform would amount to interpretations of uneven playing field.
“In order not to deepen cracks within the party and to ensure that all are focused on the broader agenda of discussing key reform proposals, the party, in the lead up to the recent conference held on Sunday 19th December, 2021 served notice that it would not tolerate any act of campaigning at the venue or around the vicinity of the venue. Posters and bill boards were ordered to be removed and this was complied with. However, organizers of the conference deliberately or inadvertently created a certain platform for the Vice President who is also a contender for the flagbearership of the party. Giving him an opportunity to present a lecture was an unfair advantage.
“The other contenders for the flagbearership of the party have equally important portfolios that they could have presented reports on. In a contest, whoever fails to recognize that such a platform presented to the Vice President could lend itself to various interpretations of uneven playing field may be naïve in politics,” he noted.
Background
The New Patriotic Party on Sunday December 19, 2021 held its national annual delegates congress in Kumasi under the theme ‘NPP: Our Resolve, Our Determination and Commitment to Ghana’s Development’.
The main itinerary was for the party to consider over 91 proposals to amend its constitution however that could not happen as it referred it to the National Council of the party.
Speakers at the event took turns to urge the party members to remain united as it forges ahead into the 2024 general elections.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia used the opportunity to touts government’s achievements whiles jabbing the opposition National Democratic Congress for sending a “fundamentally incompetent” petition to the Supreme Court challenging the outcome of the 2020 elections.
Dr. Bawumia speaking at the NPP annual delegates conference