John Mahama
Growing up, one of the terms we were familiar with and used it wrongly or rightly in basic school was “observers are worried”. Indeed, some students of politics are worried about NPP’s internal contest.
There are those who are concerned about the unity of the rank and file of the party and those who are praying that this contest breaks the party apart.
These naysayers include some senior party people who regularly piss in from outside to destabilise the party, and others who are daydreaming that the NPP is dancing to the dictates of John Mahama in the choice of flagbearer.
Their wish would be shot down because the battle is still the Lord’s. The NPP would organise one of the successful congresses in recent times and position the party well for Election 2024. The delegates know too well what task lies ahead of them and they want to be part of that history.
With just about 24 hours to the contest, we urge the candidates to be decorous in their messages devoid of politics of insults and smear campaign. Can these decent gentlemen take out personal attacks on their opponents for the days left for their outreach to the delegates?
Some candidates have even drawn in spouses of candidates in their messages, sometimes making claims that are unacceptable in any civilised society.
We do not want to give credibility to that kind of demagoguery but stick to issues that would move Ghana forward. By our own opinion poll, we know who carries the day on Saturday.
We, however, warn delegates to be wary of the Akan tag on the NPP that even some of the candidates think someone from the northern part of the country is not fit to lead the Elephant Family.
A very dangerous and divisive proposition that can only spell doom for the party if the delegates choose that path.
We are sure the NPP has not forgotten the claim by Mr John Mahama, that the party would never make Dr Mahamudu Bawumia flagbearer of the NPP.
Take and listen to what Mahama said at Lawra in the Upper West Region in November 2016. He said the then opposition NPP would never allow its current running mate, Dr. Bawumia to be its flagbearer.
According to him, the NPP has always taken northerners for granted, and expressed pity for those who sided with the main opposition party over his governing NDC. He at that time asked northerners to reject the NPP, describing it as a party that does not believe in the potential of northerners, saying, “Let anything happen today and let our brother Bawumia say he is standing for President in NPP. They will never give it to him, I can assure you.”
We are sure the delegates have not suffered from the forgetfulness syndrome that Mahama spoke about sometime back and not play Dr Bawumia up for public ridicule, especially in the hands of the NDC.
We know Dr Bawumia has served the NPP faithfully and it is our hope that come Saturday, he would wear the crown as the 2024 presidential candidate of the NPP.
His hard work is par excellence and his humility is beyond description. His qualities would encourage the delegates to do him that honour of leading the NPP to make history by ‘breaking the eight’.
To the teeming supporters of the NPP, the delegates would exercise their mandate to determine the ultimate goal of the party.
We are nonetheless, not oblivious of the famous dictum of Sir John that “fear delegates”, but we are convinced that the delegates know what lies ahead of them to ‘break the eight’ and their choice on Saturday would be informed by that hurdle ahead of the party.
Mindful of the fact that the vote on Saturday is a secret ballot and the choice of the delegates despite a lame attempt to blame one candidate’s popularity on the establishment, we know there are surprises in elections and a dark horse can spring a surprise. Be that as it may, we wish the NPP the best of this internal contest hoping that the delegates would make informed decision.
May the best candidate emerge victorious. However, we hope the delegates would not make John Mahama a “prophet” by making his prediction that the NPP would dump Bawumia come true. A word to the wise, is in the hands of the delegates.