As the latent competition for the flagbearership of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) gets keen, persons purporting to be speaking for some of the aspirants, have started making utterances that are divisive. Some have even gone to the extent of playing the tribal card against their potential opponents, a development many find destructive and inimical to the unity of the party.
Few days ago, the Member of Parliament(MP) for Assin Central on his usual tours to help energize the base of the NPP, traveled to visit some constituencies in the North East Region among others. Before then, Mr. Anthony Abayifa Karbo, former NPP MP for Lawra, was on record to have met some members of the party in the Volta Region and asked them not to vote for any Akan in the next presidential primaries of NPP. It should be noted that, Mr. Karbo for some time now, has been speaking for the vice president on his(Dr. Bawumia) presidential ambition and is therefore within his inner circle.
In addition to this, Mohammed Baatima Samba, Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP and Fuseini Nuridee, North-East Regional Chairman of the NPP had also instructed all constituency executives in their respective regions not to meet Hon. Kennedy Agyapong for any discussion. Hon. Agyapong upon getting the information did not take it likely and warned the said chairmen and their likes, to learn from history to avoid the mistakes that always take the party to opposition.
According to him, a tribal campaign is a recipe for the party’s disaster and anyone who presses it thinking that he is doing so to support an aspirant should know they are sending the party to the opposition.
The Assin Central legislator who is also one of the major financiers of the NPP told the people gathered that, if Dr. Bawumia should become flagbearer, he will definitely need his (Hon. Agyapong)’s support to win as president. In the same way, if he also wins, he will need Dr. Bawumia’s support. This he said is what should be the thinking of anyone who loves the party and wants it to break the 8.
Sensing the potential danger involved in the issue Mr. Agyapong has raised, Vice President Dr. Mahamud Bawumia has acted in a bid to foil any latent happening which has the potential to create rancor and disunity by sending a delegation to meet Hon. Kennedy Agyapong to resolve the difference.
On the evening of Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at the residence of Hon. Agyapong, Movenpick, a 3-member delegation detailed by the veep, conferred with him on the matter of ensuring a decent campaign for the race.
The team, led by Fred Oware(campaign manager for team Bawumia), visited Kennedy Ohene Agyapong to ask him to forgive any happening or utterances that might have infringed on his person by people who are part of Dr. Bawumia’s team.
Mr. Anthony Abayifa Karbo, former Lawra MP who also speaks for Dr. Bawumia, Dr. Gideon Boako(Special Aide to the vice president) were part of the Veep’s delegation.
Hon. K.T. Hammond, who has been a link and sometimes a mediator between Mr. Agyapong and other entities due to his close friendship and as a commandant of the Assin Central M.P., was also there to ensure a peaceful resolution of the differences.
Each of the people presents promised to work with the support of one another to ensure unity in order to secure a third-term victory for the NPP.
By: Prince Adjei – Guy Gee
