The Choice Of A Befitting Running Mate For Dr. Bawumia

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has successfully elected her flagbearer for the 2024 general election under an enthusiastic atmosphere. It is with great pleasure to learn from all the flagbearership contestants that the election was transparent, free and fair without any act of intimidation. And again, it is really a joy that all the contestants accepted defeat and genuinely congratulated the winner. More importantly, all the contestants have declared publicly to throw their unflinching and tireless support behind the elected flagbearer, and this decision and declaration would possibly culminate in the victory of the NPP over her opponents. This is the good spirit of a true party democracy.

Nobody can deny the fact that the race was highly competitive; some of the campaign utterances were harsh to some extent; some supporters of the flagbearership aspirants were too blunt in their submissions on the media interviews. Some public declarations by certain members of the party were obnoxious, but they were all in the spirit of democratic competition. Now everything is over. What next?

Every political party makes intelligent researches into the best strategies to win elections. My greatest concern for the party leadership is that: Is it not very prudent for the party to look into the main advantages of her opponents over us and place a devastating antidote to knock them down? Our elected flagbearer is from the North. Apart from the “Kusasis” who have developed tribal animosity towards the “Mamprusis” due to a long-standing kingship skirmish and who may go against NPP, the “Mamprusis” will definitely be by the side of the NPP. However, the rest of the battle in the north is a 50/50 win between H. E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and his main opponent. I am highly convinced that the party has set up a strong political machinery into the means of curbing that tilt.

The party should not gloss over the internal conflict that erupted after the super delegates conference. Honorable Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen deflected to form his own movement. Some of the other five aspirants are also brooding over severe pain caused by an alleged unfriendly atmosphere that they encountered.

1. How are we dealing with the solution of gaining the members who have deflected to the camp of Alan, even if the number is one (1)?
2. Are we thinking about those who vehemently declared a slogan that “No Ken, No Vote” and making some adjustments to retrieve them to the mainstream active membership?
3. Have we weighed the strength of those who appear to be forces to reckon with in terms of winning enormous votes for the party; not those who go by sheer barbering of words?
4. Have we been prompted to look critically into the results of this internal flagbearership election and is considering to delve deeper into why the results for certain constituencies were so?
5. Is it hypothetically possible to dialogue with Hon. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen and win him back? I think this move is not too late.
6. Don’t we envisage the shivering and fidgeting of our opponents when H. E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia emerged as the winner/victor of the flagbearership race?
7. Don’t we imagine the calling of series of secret high-powered meetings by the main opposition party to determine the best political panacea to flatten the strength of H. E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia?

To the best of my knowledge, the party who wins the presidential election massively in Ashanti, Eastern, Central and Greater Accra regions will “automatically” be the Executive arm of the government. If Dr. Bawumia’s influence can bring majority of the Northern sector to the NPP, will it not be advantageous to target a famous and popular Vice-Presidential candidate from the South? And who will the cap fit?

It is true that chewing an extremely bitter pill is naturally and physically unpalatable, but the potency and efficacy of the bitter pill could be beneficially enormous as well as death-saving. In the Ghanaian party politics, it is not advisable at all to experiment, because doing so could spell your doom. However, breaking the eight (8) demands a sophisticated strategic plan. The party should weigh all the possible potential vice-presidential candidates and choose the best befitting candidate. It should be somebody who can pull the crowd to the camp of the NPP despite his or her basic level of education. The party is allegedly limping in fewer areas of the Ashanti region due to some “unreasonable” misunderstandings that are brewing in the minds of the electorate.

It would be recalled that H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo was given a severe opposition for choosing Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as his running mate, but when he was able to prove, beyond reasonable doubts, the dexterity of his running mate, situations calmed down. Let the party leadership focus on the current political barometer and make the best and befitting choice for H. E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

It is possible by the strength of God to break the eight (8).

Long live, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia;
Long live, the in-coming running mate;
Long live, NPP;
Long live, Ghana democracy.
By PHILIP AKWASI OPOKU.