President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has proven himself as heir apparent to his boss President Akufo-Addo, a top official of IMANI Africa, a policy think-tank, has stated.
Kofi Bentil, Vice President of IMANI, said the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has conducted himself well in opposition and in office to step into the shoes of President Akufo-Addo.
“On my own assessment, I believe presently if you look across the political scene the best person to take over from President Nana Addo will be Dr Mahamudu Bawumia,” the private legal practitioner said of the economist.
Dr Bawumia has been at the forefront in most of the government’s reform programmes such as the formalization of the economy through the mobile money interoperability system, paperless ports and e-registration of businesses, Ghana Card to be issued from Monday, digital address system and the digital land registration system.
Mr Bentil believes Dr Bawumia will easily replace Akufo-Addo when he retires if he keeps his focus and do more.
“If he continues the way he is going and continues to give me the confidence he gives me, and if nobody emerges and gives me greater confidence, I’ll vote for him,” Mr Bentil told Ghanaweb.
In August 2017, President Akufo-Addo patted his Vice Dr Bawumia on the back for “his commendable brilliance and high sense of responsibility.”
According to Akufo-Addo, the Bank of Ghana should be proud to have had one of its own as a vice president, whose dedication to work befits a central banker of quality.”
Whilst saluting all the governors, boards of directors, top management, Monetary Policy Committee members and staff, both past and present, for their dedication and service to the bank, President Akufo-Addo indicated that it was auspicious that on the occasion of its 60th birthday, one of your own should be occupying the high office of Vice President of the Republic, an office whose functions he is discharging with commendable brilliance and high sense of responsibility.”
A former Deputy Agriculture Minister William Quaitoo has also supported the idea for Dr Bawumia to succeed President Akufo-Addo.
Asked by Bola Ray on Starr Chat on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 if Dr Bawumia should succeed Akufo-Addo as flagbearer of the party, Mr Quaitoo said the move will help the NPP erase the perception that it’s an Akan-inclined party.
“Yes, in the sense that NPP has been treated for far too long as being an Akan party, though his [Dr. Bawumia] tribe are in the minority, I think seriously that if NPP should elect Dr Bawumia as our next flagbearer when Nana steps down it will go a long way to erase this erroneous impression.”