While Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was busily campaigning to have his boss, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo re-elected in the 2020 elections, he equally had his eyes fixed on the flagbearership race of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and had even set up a camp to outline his campaign strategy towards succeeding President Akufo-Addo as the next flagbearer of the NPP.
This is according to former Member of Parliament for the Tamale Central Constituency, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini.
Speaking on the jostling within the NPP to replace President Akufo-Addo for the next elections, the former MP said while he was on his way to Tamale from Accra in 2020, he met a bosom friend who turned out to be a member of the Vice President’s campaign team.
The said friend, Mr. Inusah claimed, revealed to him that the Vice President’s team had set up a camp in Accra where they met to strategize for the NPP’s flagbearership contest.
“In 2020, I was traveling to Tamale and at the airport, I met somebody who turned out to be my friend. He told me that Bawumia’s team had set up a camp in Accra and they were meeting to strategize for the election,” he stated on Pan African Television.
Mr. Fuseini said he was made to understand through his discussion with the Vice President’s campaign team member that they had already settled on a running-mate for Dr. Bawumia whose name was disclosed to him.
“He gave me reasons to believe that their meetings were far advanced and they had already settled on a running-mate and he mentioned the name to me. I won’t disclose that now,” he added.
He claimed he subsequently met with the proposed running-mate who confirmed that the Vice President’s camp had commenced meetings on his ambitions to lead the elephant party.
He said although the person supposedly named to partner Dr. Bawumia should he emerge as the next NPP’s flagbearer was surprised about how he (Inusah Fuseini) came across such information, he indicated his readiness to partner the Vice President stating that he has no reason to reject such an offer.
The race to replace President Akufo-Addo for the 2024 elections has intensified few months into the second term of the Akufo-Addo’s government.
Already, fliers of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Trade Minister, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen and Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto have been circulating on social media with their supporters touting their abilities to break the 8-year power swing in the country’s political space.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie was reported to have held a meeting with leading members of the NPP in Kumasi where he disclosed his intentions to run for the presidential candidature of the party and dolled out huge amounts of monies to potential delegates.
He, however, denied ever holding such meeting claiming that he was in Kumasi to recover from fever.
