Dr. Bawumia Is Still My Choice!
Five days hence, the Great Elephant fraternity will be choosing the one to lead them into the 2024 presidential battle against those standing under the eagle-headed Umbrella.
With Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, aka Chief Alan, pulling out of the race and subsequently resigning from the party following his abysmal performance during the Special Delegates’ election, the contest is now between Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President, and Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin North.
I did predict that Dr. Bawumia was going to win a landslide victory and it came to pass. I’m repeating the dose here. In other words, I’m predicting that what happened on August 26, 2023 would be repeated come Saturday, November 4, 2023.
Did I see you advertise a wry smile? Yes, Kennedy is making inroads, but his abrasive and confrontational style of campaign would ultimately become his undoing. I would pat him on the back if he manages to get 25% of the total votes.
I have seen many videos of Kennedy’s interaction with the delegates and, I must confess, his message of having sacrificed for the party, in cash and in kind, seems to be resonating with the delegates. But accusing Dr. Bawumia of ‘buying’ the verdict in the Special Delegates’ election without any tangible evidence is very preposterous, to say the least.
Of course, I’ve seen the video where he was showing a picture of one constituency chairman seated in a car, alleged to be a bribe to the said chairman. We do not see the one who gave out the alleged bribe, neither do we see evidence of any bribery in the picture. Yet Kennedy continues to use the said picture as evidence of bribery because he knows the average Asomdwekromanian is very gullible and does not critically examine issues.
But the strategy will fail because the Great Elephant fraternity is a very conservative group that is known for its conventional ways. It will take more than accusations and tantrums to convince the conventional Elephant to go for an unconventional candidate.
Many of the delegates I’ve personally spoken to admire Kennedy for his sacrifice and service to the party and the country at large. But they still believe Dr. Bawumia would be a better option as Ken has already tarnished his image with his numerous public ‘showdowns’.
I still maintain that Dr. Bawumia is the man to beat. The more I watch videos of his interaction with the delegates across the length and breadth of the country, the more I get convinced that he is the man for the moment. I understand the apprehension of those who say the crowds are rented because the razzmatazz always sends shivers down the spines of his opponents.
Abusuapanin, the euphoria is simply a reflection of the sentiments of the rank and file of the party, which is consistent with the Elephant’s tradition of all forces moving towards a certain direction when a new leader emerges.
We saw same euphoria when J.A. Kufuor and Nana Dee emerged in 1998 and 2007 respectively.
Many in the Elephant fraternity, yours truly inclusive, believe strongly that Dr. Bawumia’s bid represents the growth of the Elephant. So those of us minded by the growth of the Elephant will not shirk our responsibility of ensuring that it grows beyond the ‘Akan party’ tag it has been cocooned in.
Yes, Dr. Bawumia may be a newbie in comparison to his competitors. But no one can deny the fact that none of his competitors can measure up to his unflinching loyalty and defense of the Elephant party and government. Again, none of them come close in terms of popularity, which is a major ingredient in selling a candidate to the electorate.
I agree with the view that getting Dr. Bawumia to become president must be a shared responsibility. We need to do it to prevent that cyclical challenge of one step forward, five steps backward in our country’s development. We must ensure Dr. Bawumia becomes flagbearer and subsequently president to protect the gains we have made in Education, Health, Industrialisation, Human Capital Development, Digitalisation etc.
I laugh anytime I hear my compatriots proclaim President Kufuor as a good leader who did great things for the country. I laugh because President Kufuor was so demonised by Zu-za that our compatriots failed to appreciate the good things he had done for them. And the Elephant suffered for it in the December 2008 elections. It was posterity that opened their eyes to his greatness as a leader. I strongly believe that same posterity would judge President Nana Dee kindly.
So, dear delegates, let’s all rally behind a candidate that will ensure that we reach our destination in peace. And the only one among the lot is the ‘Walewale Adam Smith’. Only he has the potential to ‘break the 8’ and retain the presidential throne for the Elephant.
Dr. Bawumia’s victory will certainly herald the dawn of a new era in leadership, where for the first time in its history, a ‘Muslim Northerner’ will be leading the charge for the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition. For sure, it is possible!
See you next week for another interesting ‘konkonsa’, Deo volente!