Bawumia, Akufo addo In a fracas

Twice unlucky vice presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s visibility and activeness on the political terrain in recent times is causing consternation within his party and has landed him in trouble.

Unadulterated information reaching The aL-hAJJ has revealed his political godfather, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is seething with rage over what insiders say “having been let down by his political protégé”.

Dr Bawumia has in recent times upped his political ante to the chagrin of Nana Akufo Addo who is accusing him (Bawumia) of “peaking before time”, a very reliable source close to Nana Addo told The aL-hAJJ.

Recent comments by Minority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu that the NPP could in the not too distant future put up a Muslim presidential candidate, the source disclosed, has strengthened the hands of Bawumia who also believes the time has come for Nana Akufo-Addo to fulfill his pledge to bequeath the flag bearer post to him.

Deep throat sources in the party told The aL-hAJJ that even though the leadership of the NPP is still mulling over how to supplant the twice defeated presidential candidate with his 2016 running mate, Nana Akufo-Addo has been angered by Dr Bawumia’s recent political strategy which he thinks is to ‘topple’ him earlier than planned.

Infuriated by Dr Bawumia’s haste to replace him, Nana Akufo-Addo, seething with rage, recently summoned his twice failed political partner to answer questions over a supposed “2020” posters circulating across the country with his effigy embossed.

Though Dr Bawumia was said to have strenuously deny any knowledge about the said posters, his boss was reported not persuaded with his explanation as he (Nana Akufo Addo) retorted, “but if you say you are not aware of them…What have you done about them if indeed, you are not behind it”.

But some of Nana Akufo-Addo’s kinsmen led by group chairman of Data Bank, Ken Ofori Atta, a source disclosed, pleaded with him to “go cool” on the supposed flag bearer in-waiting as “he is the only credible candidate we have for now to succeed you.”

While the former Abuakwa South legislator would not take any of those explanations, Ken Ofori Atta had to caution that if they fail to rally behind Dr Bawumia, the leadership and control of the party could slip through their hands to the Ashanti faction of the party.

This is the second time in less than two months the duo had clashed over alleged covert attempts by Dr Bawumia to be elevated to the highest position in the party earlier than planned.

Early this year, The aL-hAJJ reported of how the twice unsuccessful vice presidential candidate was angered by Nana Akufo-Addo’s delay in redeeming a pledge to cede the flag bearer post to him.

Dr Bawumia, deep throat sources revealed, secretly met some influential Northerners in the NPP to pile pressure on the twice defeated presidential candidate to make way for him to “try his luck” at the presidency.

However, while Dr Bawumia thought he was confiding in his Northern brethren towards a realization of a collective goal, one of them secretly recorded him and delivered the tape to Nana Akufo-Addo who was said to have been angered by his running mate’s conduct.

The aL-hAJJ in the run up to the NPP flag bearer contest revealed that Nana Akufo-Addo and his henchmen had agreed that in the event he (Nana Addo) is unable to run for the 2016 election, he should bequeath the flag bearer post to the former deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana.

The arrangement, this paper reported, was for Nana Akufo-Addo to contest and win the flag bearer post for the third time and immediately nominate Dr Bawumia as his running mate, which, although was rubbished by the NPP, but came to pass.

As part of the plan, few months into the official filling of nominations for the 2016 polls, the former Abuakwa South legislator was to step down but not before recommending Dr Bawumia; as his replacer.

This was said to have been carefully crafted in such a way that the NPP will be hard press for time to go for another national delegates congress to elect a new flag bearer to square off with President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress.

Though The aL-hAJJ was taken to the cleaners for the publication, with some describing the reportage as pure fabrication, recent revelation by the Minority leader at the Nasara Conference confirms the party indeed, is considering such an arrangement.

Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu told the conference delegates he was confident ‘in the not too distant future’ the party will be the first political party in Ghana to present Muslim as Presidential Candidate

Though Nana Akufo-Addo and his loyalists, The aL-hAJJ gathered, are still committed to the pact, his beef is that Dr Bawumia is jumping the gun by subtly carrying himself as the next flag bearer of the party when the party is yet to firm up on that arrangement.