Member of Parliament(MP) for Tema West constituency, Carlos Ahenkorah, has lashed out at some members of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) who are mounting pressure on the flagbearer and leader of the party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to choose his running mate from their camp, ahead of the December 2024 elections.
According to the legislator, he does not see reasons with the pressure some party members are mounting on Dr. Bawumia for him to consider their preferred candidate, adding that the constant and consistent pressure being mounted on the flagbearer is likely to weaken the structure of the party.
Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' on Tuesday, April 16 with Kwame Nkrumah Tikese, Mr. Ahenkorah said, "NPP has never experienced such an occurrence before as we are experiencing now. It is not as if they are lobbying. That would have been better but to engage in an open campaign stating that if the flagbearer does not pick their person the party will not win the December elections is unfounded. Such an attitude should not be entertained and encouraged in our party. This is weakening our party. It is giving the flagbearer unnecessary pressure’’.
Speaking further Carlos Ahenkorah described the era of former President John Agyekum Kufuor when he chose the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama as his running mate to the amazement of many party members.
"Nobody knew how President John Agyekum Kufuor selected Aliu Mahama as his running mate but it was his choice, and by the constitution of the NPP, the flagbearer has the prerogative to choose whoever he wishes to be his running mate."
The recent factions within the NPP with some party members and constituency executives openly mounting pressure on the vice president to elect a candidate from the camp, according to the Tema West law maker, has the potency of tearing the New Patriotic Party apart.
"If care is not taken, the people you are openly campaigning for to become the running mate might overshadow the flagbearer in terms of popularity, which is not good for us as a party ahead of the December general elections.
"If we are all to present our preferred candidate for the slot for a running mate, whose will be considered?" he quizzed, adding that, "the reason this will weaken the party is that should the flagbearer decide to choose another person entirely different from your choice, the groups will be disappointed and then they will develop cold feet towards the party. Some of them will not even vote for the party during the elections. Their relatives will be disappointment with the reason being that their relatives have been snubbed by the flagbearer."
" . . let’s stop these things and allow the flagbearer to choose the person who best fits,’’ he added.
He was quick to add that, if the vice president and the presidential candidate of the NPP had picked his running mate earlier, the pressure being mounted on him will not happen in the first place.
"I will urge the vice president to select his running mate to put an end to the unnecessary pressure being mounted on him."
Concluding, the former deputy for Trade mentioned that, no party member has the right to put pressure on the flagbearer and the presidential candidate.
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