Report by Nana POKU
The former Majority Leader and member of parliament of Old Tafo Suame (Suame) Hon Osei Kyei- Mensah -Bonsu has categorically debunked the notion that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo imposed Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia on the new Patriotic Party (NPP) in the run up to the 2024 general election via the presidential primaries of the party.
Speaking to a host of TV3 in an interview on Express Issues, the long-serving law maker explained why Bawumia was overwhelmingly voted for by the party to contest the elections in 2024.
According to him, the party’s constituency, regional and national executives sat and searched through the party looking for a suitable candidate to contest John Mahama from all the regions.
They saw that Mahama needed a formidable, popular, strong and tested candidate from the party if the party meant business to beat Mahama.
This is because Mahama had contested three times and had been a president before so the battle was an arduous one.
This has been the consideration and process since 1992 and every party does that.
“With the huge task on hand the whole regional and national executives supported Bawumia’s candidature if he stepped forward to contest, and of course considered others who ventured to put their feet forward too,” he said.
He stated that in reaching this consensus the party’s law makers and council of elders all were also consulted on the matter.
Mr Kyei Mensah -Bonsu indicated that they also opened the door for others to put in their bid to contest against Dr Bawumia as had been the practice of the party over the years; so it was not an endorsement per se but an open door decision for all eligible.
“I was mentioned and considered by the National Executive Committee ahead of Bawumia for the primaries but I declined with the excuse that age was not on my side.
“I did my own calculation and realized that age would not favour me because I am 68 now and Bawumia is 61 so he had the advantage over me so in terms of age, l willingly gave him my support,” he said.
In doing all this the party took so many things into consideration by doing wide consultation and sampled the opinion of chiefs, religious bodies, civil society organizations, etc.
“So it was not as if we hated someone and favored another one,” he said.
He explained that that is why during the party’s fact-finding exercise it came out strongly that the candidature of Dr. Bawumia did not culminate in the party’s huge loss.
“In fact if you ask the electorates whether religion and tribe was a contribution to our big loss, they will quickly say, ‘oh no, not at all’! Rather they pin-pointed some actions and inactions from the presidency to the party executives and other things.
“No respondent pointed at the former Vice President for a single offense of his and they even praised him for his good work and the great campaign he embarked on.
“So those going around misrepresenting truth and agitating must stop in the interest of the party because we must quickly pick the pieces and face 2028 head-on. Considering our negligible numbers in parliament, the general apathy and other issues we don’t need to press the blame button but put things behind us and face the battle fiercely and courageously,” he said.
