Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for the Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh has predicted a 70% victory for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the upcoming presidential primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According him, despite the diverse opinions of some political analysts, he believes it’s going to be a massive win for the current vice President Dr. Bawumia.
He said this when he joined the Vice President with other MPs at Manhyia palace in Kumasi for Akwasiadae
Frank Annoh-Dompreh addressing a section of the media said, “this is the first time we are seeing a Muslim who is a leader and is rallying support from even the Christian community, the man is building mosques, churches, reaching out to the Clergy and he is dining, talking and thinking together with the Clergy, for me, I have not seen anything like that such a religious tolerance is something unique on the continent and for me, we must value what we have and celebrate it”.
He explained that “I tell you he will not win not less than 70%, have been in this game for a while I have been a student leader, polling station executive, regional executive, and now I have been committee chair once upon a time, I am Chief Whip, I can feel it I can feel the entire spirit of the party is behind this man and anybody who will go against this man is like sweeping a moving current, he is going to win there is nothing you can do about it, is going to be a massive win the minimum will be a 70%”.
The Majority Chief Whip however cautioned other aspirants not to underrate and attribute the overwhelming support of the vice President to intimidation.
“That is why I am not with the NDC, from my childhood this party is a party that entertains dissenting reasoning, nobody is intimidated nobody can intimidate members of parliament.
“Don’t also underrate the overwhelming support this man has and attribute it to an intimidation, there is no intimidation those who claim that they are being intimidated should come out and prove”
“There are other members of parliament who are supporting other candidates so is not 100% support, for the record, we don’t have any candidates here, I can give you several names but they are free to join them” he explained to the media.
He said that the delegates in all 16 regions are pleading with voters to choose Bawumia as the flagbearer and end the 8-year jinx on the political sphere.
On Sunday, the Vice President managed to unwittingly turn the Asante -Akwasidae into a rally ground as he was mobbed unendingly by attendees.
Dr. Bawumia, joined the Asantemann to celebrate the 2023 Akwasidae festival of the Asantes with the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, sitting in state at the Manhyia Palace.
He was accompanied by his wife, Samira Bawumia, both of whom were clad in splendid Kente cloth.
Among his entourage were a huge number of Chief Executive officers of state Institutions, Regional and Constituencies chairmen of the ruling New Patriotic Party among others.
Also, a total of 90 Majority of the Members of Parliament (MPs) belonging to the ruling party joined Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
The list of lawmakers attending the event shows that about 30 of the MPs who hail from the Ashanti Region were in attendance.
Eastern Region came second with 11 MPs followed by Northern Region before Greater Accra who both had nine MPs.
The Members of Parliament were led by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, First Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu, Second Majority Chief Whip, Lydia Alhassan, Deputy Minister for Finance, John Kumah, Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum among others.
Aside from the Vice President who yet to make a public declaration about his future in politics, six other NPP stalwarts have announced publicly their intent to lead the party thus far.
Already, two of them – The Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, and the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto have resigned from their Cabinet positions to prepare and win the hearts and minds of party delegates.
The six other contenders – all leading members of the NPP, are former Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko, MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, and a former presidential spokesperson and General Secretary of the party, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.
The rest are a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey, who is also the MP for Essikado-Ketan, a former MP for Mampong, Francis Addai-Nimoh, and a former Minister of State, D Kofi Konadu Apraku, who is also a former MP for Offinso North.
BY Daniel Bampoe