NPP to meet Bawumia over religious comments

The leadership of the New Patriotic Party is expected to meet today over religious comments made by the party’s vice presidential candidate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Dr. Bawumia while addressing some New Patriotic Party supporters in the Sissala East district of the Upper West region said “another major issue that I want to bring to the attention of the people is that; if we look at the flagstaff house today, it does not reflect the people of Ghana in terms of religion.

“We are in this country living peacefully and nicely; Christians and Muslims. So we believe in the NPP that Christians and Muslims should work together and that is why whenever we pick a flagbearer as a Christian, we pick a Muslim as a vice.

“And when we come and pick a Muslim as a flagbearer, we will pick a Christian as a vice. So if, Insha Allah, Nana Akufo-Addo becomes president, he will swear with the Bible and enter the Flagstaff and I will swear with the Quran and enter the flagstaff House.”

His comments have been widely condemned by Ghanaians with some urging the former deputy central bank boss to apologise for making religious claims.

Chairman of the National Peace Council Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante has also described the utterances from the NPP scribe as unfortunate and should not be encouraged.

Political Scientist and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr. Kwesi Jonah has described as unfortunate, the religious statements by the economist.

But speaking on Morning Starr Monday, Communications Director of the NPP, Nana Akomea told host Nii Arday Clegg that the party will communicate their position on the matter after the leadership of the party meets Dr. Bawumia.

“We have to meet with Bawumia, then we will look at where the concerns are coming from and if we judge them to be genuine concerns then we will proceed but if we judge them not be genuine and being thrown in for political interest we will also be guided accordingly,” Mr. Akomea.