Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice president
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, has made a compelling case for his election as President of Ghana, saying he has bold solutions for the country's future.
The vice president made these remarks when addressing a mammoth crowd in Kwahu Mpraeso after a health walk over the weekend.
Dr Bawumia said he had never been President of Ghana before, and considering his impact as vice president, a vote for him would translate into "bold solutions", while a vote for his main opponent, former President John Mahama, meant "a vote for old solutions."
"Somebody has been president before, and the question is: What did he do as president to address the problems of the country?… He had no solutions and we all saw how he performed, leading to his exit from office. And now he says Ghanaians should bring him back?" Dr Bawumia asked amid cheers from the crowd.
"I have not been president before. I have only been a vice president, and as vice president, I can point to a number of generational issues I have helped resolve. By the grace of God, if you give me the opportunity, I will do more as president and resolve many issues."
The vice president said he was coming up with new ideas and bold solutions to move Ghana forward.
"As I said, I am coming up with a new tax system that will bring a flat tax rate and grant tax amnesty to businesses and individuals.
"The future is technology, and the youth of this country are important to drive what we want to do in technological advancement.
"That is why I have said we will train about one million young Ghanaians in coding and software applications under my presidency.
"I am also revising the National Service Scheme. It will no longer be compulsory. Once you are out of school and you can get a job straight away, you don't have to undertake national service. I want to make it very simple for all," he reiterated.
Dr Bawumia also reaffirmed his Ghana Card for Passport policy, explaining that with biometric details captured in the NIA database, there should be no need for a Ghanaian passport applicant to go through another process to obtain information.
"Once you have a Ghana Card, all you need to do is pay the passport application fees online, and your passport will be processed and delivered to you without [you having to go] through another biometric verification process," Dr Bawumia added.
On comparative records between the NPP and NDC, Dr Bawumia said the data showed that the NDC was nowhere near the NPP in many sectors.
He listed the NPP's superior record in education, economic indicators, construction of hospitals, tourism, sports infrastructure, digitalisation, and many more.
The NPP flagbearer urged the rank and file of the party to work hard to win the 2024 presidential election and parliamentary majority.
Thousands of the youth participated in the early-morning walk, which also had many NPP stalwarts, including the National Chairman, Stephen Ayesu Ntim, General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, and some Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State.
Some aspirants who took part in the recent NPP presidential primaries were also present.
