NPP Special delegates conference: Bawumia takes early lead, Ken mounts fierce fight and why the NDC must strategize strongly.

The NPP has just completed it special delegates conference, an exercise that represents the administrative outlook of the New Patriotic Party’s government and political structure.

The outcome sends a message of the resolution of the establishment to support the bid of the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to lead the NPP Party into the 2024 general elections. The outcome may not be far from over, looking at the shortfall of the 80 percent expectation of the campaign team of the Vice President, and the forceful show of Ken Agyapong.

I predicted sometime in June 2022 that, the contest for the new leadership of the NPP will boil down to Vice President Bawumia and Kennedy Agyapong for many reasons, and the outcome of the special delegates conference confirms my observations accurately.

Further, it’s becoming obvious that, the NPP for the first time in it's political history, will break the myth and elect a non-Akan Presidential candidate, if Bawumia gets through this successfully in November, as he will be the first Non-Akan, Muslim Presidential candidate of the NPP. This they need desperately to shy off the historical allegations of tribal in-balance in the party.

However, the NPP needs the Akan votes, knowing how important that adds to their political fortune, hence the strategy obviously will be to pair a deep-rooted Akan, most likely from Ashanti region! Then the 2024 elections will be more competitive than we can imagine.

The middle class, which originally associates with the NPP in it's voting decision is feeling the huge pain of the challenges of this current government, the economic sufferings, new taxes, with the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme biting hard, this will most likely lead to either rejection of Bawumia or stay at home from the polls as sign of protest due to the incompetent economic management woes of the current government. However if Bawumia wins, his campaign will argue the case for the Muslims support base, and go after the Zongo settlers in the south which are predominantly Muslims. A base that usually sides with the NDC.

More importantly, political watchers, the Vice President and his campaign know Bawumia's annexing of the ticket is a do or die, not necessarily for him, but for his likes in the NPP, the Northerners and the Muslims, so he, from how the current establishment is supporting his bid, will go forcefully with a break or win style of politicking. He will deploy everything at his disposal;money, thuggery, electoral manipulation judging by recent history of the NPP's approach to political campaigns and elections, and what have you! Because if he fails to annex the Presidency, he will sink the hope and chances of those who will count on him for a future in the NPP from his stock.

This is why the NDC, and those assigned with the responsibility to change this government, must look beyond the woes of this government giving them a victory, but rather, work it's strategy on who pairs John Mahama into 2024, what religious, tribal and ethnic background they come from, what additional advantages that individual brings to augment the strengths and weaknesses of John Dramani Mahama, the NDC’s Presidential candidate.

The NDC must know that 2024 general elections , will be competitive, it will be tough and they can’t as party fail to run into opposition for 12 years. It will demoralized them, shut the hope to the large support base of it young people and teeming youth base and put the country on the path of a one party state.

Bawumia comes into this contest with huge credibility deficit from his involvement in the current Akufo Addo government, he and his campaign team know this and that’s why, they are running a campaign of possibility, to sell hope rather than the usual economic driving argument that characterized his 2016 campaign strategy. And from the outcome of the special delegates conference, seems that message has ignited hope and put him way ahead of his other competitors.

With the number now trimmed to 5 presidential candidates, Ken Agyapong has sent a clear message to the establishment of his readiness to meet them half way and knowing his aggressive, hard-knock political approach, he is going fully into this race and will improve significantly on his chances, however if that will be enough to cause an upset or send a runoff between him and the Vice President, is yet to be seen in the coming days headed to November.

The choices is ours to make!