I wasn’t forced to choose Bawumia as running mate – Akufo Addo

The Flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Akufo Addo has said he was not under any compulsion to elect a Muslim as his running mate for the upcoming 2016 election.

According to him, he chose Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, who’s a Moslem because he loves people of the Islamic faith and also believed in the former to make a competent pair with him to rule Ghana and make the country a better place.

The three-time Presidential candidate explained that his choice of Dr Bawumia, since 2008, was based on the fact that “with Christianity and Islam being the two dominant religions in Ghana, unity amongst these two religions will help boost the country’s development. The Muslim I chose is not just a Muslim, but a very brilliant Muslim, who can help develop the nation with his in-depth knowledge.”

The ruling National Democratic Congress has advised Muslims in the country to vote against the NPP and its presidential candidate if they do not want to suffer discrimination.

According to the party, the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition has a long history of discriminating against Muslims when they are in power and will repeat it under an Akufo-Addo government.

But speaking to Chiefs and People of Tafo Zongo in the Ashanti Region as part of his campaign tour of the area, Nana Akufo Addo dismissed such assertion and urged the people to treat the allegations by the NDC with the contempt that it deserves.

“The talk of the NPP coming into office to drive away zongo residents are pure lies. During President Kufuor’s eight years in office, nothing of this sort ever happened. For a time, I was Attorney General and nothing like that happened. Why would such a thing then happen when I become President?