Don't choose your running mate under pressure - NPP group tells Bawumia

A pro-NPP group, the Asante Patriots Network-Diaspora, has cautioned its party's flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in his final choice of a running mate for the December 7 presidential election.

The group, in a statement sighted by peacefmonline.com, said the selection of a running mate will be crucial in the party's aim of breaking the 8.

They expressed worry about an alleged approach being used by some running mate hopefuls.

“We, the Asante Patriots Network-Diaspora (APN-D), are saddened by the attempts by Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to use some constituency officers in the Ashanti Region to influence the selection of running mate by our Flagbearer, HE Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

“The shameless desperation of paying monies to constituency executives to endorse him for the position is something that needs to be condemned by all, and we are surprised people are quiet in Ghana,” the statement said.

The group further urged Dr Bawumia not to succumb to any form of pressure in choosing his running mate.

Read the full statement below:

HE DR BAWUMIA SHOULD NOT SET A BAD PRECEDENT THAT WILL HAUNT HIS AUTHORITY AS LEADER OF THE NPP - Ashantis in the diaspora warn Dr. Bawumia

We, the Asante Patriots Network-Diaspora (APN-D), are saddened by the attempts by Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to use some constituency officers in the Ashanti Region to influence the selection of running mate by our Flagbearer, HE Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

The shameless desperation of paying monies to constituency executives to endorse him for the position is something that needs to be condemned by all, and we are surprised people are quiet in Ghana.

This has not happened before and it should be encouraged. The Presidential Candidate should not be reduced to, or portrayed as someone who lacks the capacity to make sound judgment as a leader. It is good to lobby or recommend, but it is unacceptable for NAPO to sponsor petitions and resort to political blackmail tactics to impose himself as a choice to the Flagbearer.

We remember he used Hon. Kennedy Agyapong to make a similar call in his favour. Now he is using Constituency Executives. We even expected him to at least pretend that he knew nothing about all these, and come out to condemn them, but he hasn’t. It should only tell Dr. Bawumia how desperate NAPO is for power, which we find very dangerous for him, Dr. Bawumia.

We want to humbly remind our beloved HE Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, that HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, chose you against the calls made by others in the favour of the late Alhaji MND Jawula, Hajia Alima Mahama and others, who were relatively known in the party. Although these personalities did not sponsor petitions, the calls made in their favour could have been heeded to, but the President chose you because besides competence, he had/has confidence in you, and was/is comfortable working with you as his Running Mate/Vice President.

The President again, smartly avoided the temptation of setting a bad precedent by ignoring the calls made by the majority caucus in Parliament to sack the Finance Minister. There was the possibility of Majority Caucus and others employing the same strategy to coerce the President into taking certain decisions if he had succumbed to the calls for the dismissal of the Finance Minister. He respected their appeal, and engaged them, but only sacked the Finance Minister when he the President found appropriate.

We humbly want Dr. Bawumia to know that, succumbing to this undue pressure and political blackmail strategy from NAPO will be a harbinger for more of such unconventional tactics which will render him a lame duck leader right from the word go. Because all that NAPO or anyone has to do is to sponsor petitions from the party’s constituency executives just to twist your hands to take some specific decisions. That would be a template for them to use as and when they want to. With this as a precedent, your leadership will always be undermined. You will be seen as a weak and indecisive leader.

We don’t hate Napo but what he is doing is very dangerous, and a recipe for disaster which should be condemned.

We the Ashantis in the diaspora are watching. Ghanaians are also watching you. This is a big test for you. The moment you succumb to the pressure, you have basically handed your authority to NAPO, and the narrative about your ability to take decisive and bold decisions would not be good.

Our humble appeal is, if it is NAPO that you want to select as your running mate, it should not be done at the behest of his own orchestrated and sponsored petitions.

We trust you. We know you will not disappoint the silent majority of the party people across the length and breadth of Ghana as well as we the Ashantis in the diaspora. We also know you will not disappoint Ghanaians too.

Signed

Julius Oteng-Mensah (USA)

Maame Adwoa Konadu (UK)

Mary Asantewaa Nyamekye (Germany)

Dr. Kwame Kwarteng (China)

Yaa Adutwumwaa Mmrosa (France)