Dr Mahamudu Bawumia
Members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the diaspora are backing Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to be the governing party’s candidate for the 2024 general elections.
They have expressed confidence that electing Dr. Bawumia as the party’s presidential candidate is surest strategy for gaining ground in the NDC’s strongholds during the upcoming general elections.
The supporters argue that Bawumia is the best candidate to help the NPP to conquer the strongholds of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the upcoming elections.
The group, which represents 27 external branches of the NPP, has pledged to dedicate more resources to political campaigns, with a focus on targeting traditional NDC strongholds.
This commitment is driven by the belief that Bawumia’s candidacy will provide a catalyst for the NPP to take the fight to the NDC in every part of the country.
Chairman of the group, Kingsley Duodu Ahenkorah, underscored the importance of Bawumia’s candidacy and its potential benefits to the NPP.
He noted that the NDC has long targeted and gained significant votes from the NPP strongholds of the Ashanti region, while the NPP has not made similar efforts in the NDC’s strongholds.
“We are poised to expand the NPP’s reach in all corners of the nation, including the Ashanti region, settler communities, and those traditionally viewed as the NDC’s strongholds. The only greenlight we need is a win for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on November 4. The NDC has always taken the fight to the NPP’s strongholds, the Ashanti region, and has targeted percentages or numbers of votes and fought fiercely to attain the set target.”
They believe that having Bawumia as the NPP’s candidate will change this dynamic, making it possible for the party to compete effectively in every part of the country.
“The NDC mounted the Operation One Million Votes in the Ashanti region and obtained 600,000 in the last election. On the contrary, the NPP stays at home and has played defensive since 1992, while the NDC has always defended its votes in the Ashanti Region and paid less attention to attacking NPP strongholds. We believe that Bawumia’s candidacy is a perfect catalyst to take the fight to the NDC’s strongholds across the country. It is an undeniable fact that the Bawumia factor gave the NPP vote appreciation in the Northern regions in recent elections.
“A purposeful fight can be taken to the NDC’s strongholds when Bawumia’s name appears on the ballot paper.”
With the official endorsement of Diaspora for Bawumia, all eyes are now on the November 4 primaries to see if Bawumia will emerge as the NPP’s presidential candidate. If he does, it will be interesting to watch how the party’s campaign strategy changes and how effective the party is in competing in areas that have traditionally favored the opposition NDC.
By Vincent Kubi