Call your supporters to order - Freddie Blay reacts to Alan, Bawumia subtle campaigns

National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay has asked Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Alan Kyeremanten to direct their supporters to cease campaigning ahead of the 2024 flagbearship race.

Mr Blay believes that such an early campaign can sway the attention of Ghanaians from the impressive works of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in terms of delivering on his mandate.

His reaction follows numerous media reports tipping some prominent personalities in the NPP as replacements for Akufo-Addo come 2024.

Speaking to Joy News in a program monitored by GhanaWeb, the NPP chairman submitted thus: “A lot of the people who may be interested in the flagbearship, particularly individuals who are interested may come from his cabinet or maybe appointees who should be working to execute policies and programmes of his government but they may be more focused on nurturing their ambition towards the flagbearship.

“And that is where it is extremely negative and distracting and therefore the party frowns on that,” he explained.

Already, flyers of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen and Minister for Agric, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto have surfaced on social media and at vantage points in parts of the country indicating their supposed interest in the flagbearer position.

This development has witnessed varying reactions as some believe Bawumia is the NPP’s best bet to win the north, others are of different opinions.

The Agric Minister on Thursday, March 18, released a statement distancing himself from reports that he is nurturing presidential ambitions.

Touching on the particular matter, Freddie Blay asked the persons mentioned to come out and call their fan base to order.

“Today, I have read in the news that Dr. Akoto Afriyie has distanced himself from utterances that are apparently going round that he might have made and one or two things that he is supposed to have done.

“He is denying them and I expect one or two people that allegations are being made that they are interested in the flagbearship to do same. It is important.

“As it is now, by next year, polling station elections, constituency elections, regional elections and national elections for the party will go on and people may be interested and prepare for that. You cannot stop them but all that we are saying is, we have regulations as to what to do and when to start these things. This year is too early,” he stressed

The National Chairman added that supporters needed to remain calm because in due time the opportunity to openly campaign and express interest in various positions will be declared open.

“People in our party know and everybody knows that by the party’s constitution you cannot run for two terms so they think it is an opportunity to campaign. It is an attractive opportunity, so they lace up their boots and get ready to take over the flagbearship of the party.

“In principle, there is nothing wrong in terms of having the ambition to be the flagbearer of an attractive party like the NPP, but the thing is that it has the tendency to distract people from what the president is doing in terms of delivering on the mandate given to him.

“The Vice President and Alan Kyerematen have not openly come out to distract what the President is doing. We discussed that yesterday and many of them have not sanctioned it. But we expect them to tell their followers to desist from that,” he concluded.