The Second Deputy National Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Elikem Eric Kotoko, has downplayed the chances of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia winning the flagbearership race of the NPP ahead of the 2024 elections.
Elikem Kotoko believes that Dr. Bawumia’s reputation has been severely damaged by the current economic crisis, which he says will be a disadvantage to the Vice President when the NPP delegates go to the polls on November 4 to elect a flagbearer.
Mr Kotoko claims Dr. Bawumia’s performance as Vice President is not deserving of someone who must be elected by the NPP delegates to vie for the highest office of the land.
“Bawumia has become a contradiction to himself, Bawumia has become a threat to himself, there is no way for someone whose words cannot be trusted be allowed to contest the presidency.
“There are people who said so many things about Dr Bawumia as an economic whizz-kid, but here we are today, we are in a mess. The messiah has led us into a mess”.
“What I am driving home is that Dr Bawumia has discredited himself in so many ways…even the people are unhappy about Dr Bawumia because the perception they had about him is totally different from the reality that has faced them”.
“He has said too many things and failed to appreciate the importance of leadership. Dr Bawumia was very reckless in commentary anytime he was given the opportunity. He was either saying things that were impossible or things that he didn’t know anything about.”
Dr Bawumia on Thursday met some NPP MPs at a private meeting in Accra to confirm his intention to contest the flagbearership slot of the party.
The NPP has set November 4, 2023, for its presidential primaries to select a flagbearer for the general elections in 2024.
However, if more than five candidates file to run in the primaries, the party will call a Special Congress on August 26.
The nomination period for the presidential primaries will begin on May 26 and end on June 24, 2023.
So far, the former Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, and Francis Addai Nimo have declared their intention to contest in the party’s flagbearership race.
The others include former MP for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey, former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyapong, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, and former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko.
Source: CNR