Last Saturday, November 4, 2023, was the election of the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party. It was a two-horse race between Vice President Bawumia and Hon Kennedy Agyapong resulting in 61.43% – 37.41% out the 192,441 valid votes cast. 208,261 delegates were expected to vote.
The anticipated electoral unrest, fortunately, did not take place and peace, overshadowed the entire election like a warm blanket on a cold night.
At the official declaration of the winner and flag bearer, one of the front runners, Hon Kennedy Agyapong magnanimously accepted defeat. He was full of wisdom and pledged reconciliation without expressing how disappointed he was.
He reiterated that the election had been fair and transparent and accepted that the grassroots had spoken. He went on to ask the entire party to come together and work towards breaking the eight.
Knowing what went on during the campaign before the primaries, with the bad blood that flowed between the two main contenders, one would have expected Ken to blow his top and pick on any issue to condemn the election.
But he wisely chose the path of peace, reconciliation and togetherness. Kennedy Agyapong was my man of the show. The call for unity coming from him, indicates that he meant business when he talked about the need to unite to break the eight.
Another losing aspirant, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto also made the call for differences to be buried in party and full support given to the newly-elected flag bearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Now that the NPP has a flag bearer, there are two serious problems which need to be addressed.
Firstly, during the long run-up to the primaries, the Party allowed bad blood to flow within it. The Party Executive stood aloof and allowed government appointees and party officers to openly campaign for the flag bearer, which is forbidden in the annals of the Party. Instead of applying the rules and cracking the whip, those punished were other officers who had expressed their support for other aspirants.
This created a situation where lies and allegations were thrown about and across the field directed at the then three frontrunners, Agyapong, Bawumia and Kyerematen. So many sour words came out and these are stockpiled in the opposition NDC’s warehouse, ready to be unleashed on the NPP when the full campaign for Election 2024 begins.
Bawumia, we were told by the NDC, is the greatest liar and even Google has recorded that. Instead of defending the vice president, some NPP members joined the chorus and used it as campaign against him. Now he is the party’s flag bearer, so what can be done to undo this tag?
I wrote a feature in the Chronicle, about this, which in brief, I suggested that if not being able to fulfil campaign promises makes someone a liar, then the NDC has got the worse liars. Comparatively, Bawumia is nowhere near being labelled a liar.
It is not too late to amend this, but this must be done now and not later.
In all this, I expect the Party Executives to be bold to check these anomalies and not just sit there.
Secondly, moneyocracy is going be a doom to the Party sooner than later. As to whether the delegates voted with their clear conscience became obvious that some, did not. And I am not the one saying this.
For one thing, my fine sister, Hon Hawa Koomson should not have explained publicly, the way she did, about how Kennedy Agyapong won in her constituency due to money issues.
Instead of simply acknowledging that Ken did a good job by winning Awutu Senya, and allowing reconciliation and togetherness to take over, she rather attempted to proof, publicly that it was money that made her delegates turned their backs on Bawumia. She should rather have done this with the powers-that-be, behind closed doors.
It is about time that the NPP takes a good look at moneyocracy and come out with a lasting solution to this. For one thing, Alan Kyerematen’s Constituency Business Venture (CBV) should seriously be considered. The Party can approach him and request for the blue-print and I am sure he would not turn down that request.
It is about time money plays less role in NPP elections in particular and Ghana’s, in general. If people will be moved and influenced with money before they cast votes, our democracy will be doomed.
Initially, from kettles, cutlasses and Wellington plus GH¢ 5.00 equivalent in the 90’s, we are now in the era of gifts of high capital items and amounts not less than $500.00 equivalent. Soon, people will start demanding houses.
The NPP can make it wrong for aspirants to pay money to delegates. A flat rate of at least GH¢ 1,000.00 could be paid to each delegate during elections plus a lunch package. And this must come from the Party and not from the aspirants. With CBVs going on, the Party can generate enough money to attend to this.
I wish to congratulate H.E. Mahamudu Bawumia on his election as flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party. May the Good Lord God bless him and fulfil his heart’s desires in accordance with the Will of God, through His Son Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit.
And congratulations, to the NPP for holding a very peaceful and fair election.
Hon Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
