There is a full-blown rush among the fandom of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to outdo each other over who will pay the GHC50,000 fees for his presidential nomination forms.
The New Patriotic Party officially opened nominations for its upcoming flagbearership contest on Friday, May 26, 2023. At the end of the first day of the opening, four candidates successfully picked up their nomination forms.
The four were Mr. Boakye Agyarko, a former energy minister; Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a former General Secretary of the NPP; Mr. Francis Addai-Nimo, a former Member of Parliament for Mampong; and Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, an economist cum corporate executive.
The forms were picked at the Party's Headquarters in Asylum Down, Accra.
Earlier reports on Friday indicated that a group identified as the Bawumia Fun Club had picked up nomination forms for the vice president. However, the founder of the group, Ntim Jakari, confirmed in an interview with GhanaWeb that the group had yet to pick up the form despite writing a cheque for the full amount of GHC50,000.00. He explained that this was due to challenges encountered by the club at the party's headquarters.
"We were the first to come here, and the office was opened exactly at 10 o'clock. When we were informed that we had to get a draft (to pay for the form) instead of a cheque, they had already gone to get the draft. Our national chairman has gone back to get the draft done, that is why we are still waiting," he said.
By the close of the day, the group had not been able to pick up the nomination forms.
However, Madam Abuba Jami, the NPP's Women's Organizer for the Walewale constituency in the North East region, delivered a cheque of GH₵50,000 for the purchase of the nomination forms.
She expressed her belief in Dr. Bawumia's ability to lead the party and the country to greater heights.
"I believe that Dr. Bawumia is the best candidate to lead our party and our country to greater heights," she said.
"That's why I didn't hesitate to pay the full amount for his nomination form," she told reporters after delivering the cheque.
Meanwhile, Yaw Preko, Deputy Director of Communications at the Presidency, reportedly called on the National Executives of the NPP not to issue nomination forms to anyone on behalf of the Vice President until he and his friend, Mustapha Hameed, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Commission, show up to purchase it. He posted on Facebook, "Please until you see me and Mustapha Hameed, don't give nomination forms to another on behalf of DMB. We are buying the forms for him," he posted on Friday, May 26, 2023.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is a frontrunner among the list of names that have emerged ahead of the NPP's presidential primaries. Although the vice president has yet to officially announce his bid, he is reported to have consulted some stakeholders within the party about his ambition.
Meanwhile, other prominent figures like Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, former trade minister Alan Kyerematen, and former Agric Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto are expected to pick up their nominations in the coming days.
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There is mad rush among supporters of the Vice President over who gets to pay the nomination fees
