John Agyekum Kufuor
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has denied endorsing any of the flagbearer hopeful of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) including Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
According to the former President, he did not endorse the Vice President when they met at the get-together organised by the Peduase Valley Resort.
He bemoaned the fact that what transpired at that occasion was misconstrued as serious endorsement of one of the aspiring candidates over several others.
In a statement from the office of the former President Kufuor, it stated that “Former President Kufuor and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia were both guests of honour at the Father’s Day soiree that was organised by the Peduase Valley Hotel last Sunday June 19 at the hotel premises. The MC for the occasion was Mr. Kwami Sefa-Kayi who stated that when the Vice President was invited the day before, he was on assignment in the North and appeared unable to be present. He continued that when Dr. Bawumia was told that former President Kufuor would also be in attendance. It was reported that he said “If it is Kufuor, then I will surely come.”
In his remarks, the former President shared how touching it was for him to hear what the Vice President was reported to have said. The occasion being a Father’s Day event, former President Kufuor commented on how father-son relationship between him and the MC, Kwami Sefa Kayi and Ibrahim Mahama who was also there and Mamfehene who was also in attendance. He also reminisced the close father-son relationship between him and Dr. Bawumia and elaborated on how the Vice President was only a month and a day younger than his (Kufuor) own eldest son, John Addo Kufuor. For this reason, Mr. Kufuor continued that he had always been close with the Vice President and treated him like a true son. There was nothing political about his remark even at the occasion.”
Former President Kufuor mentioned that he has the same close relationship with all of the presidential aspirants such as Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Joe Ghartey, Baoakye Agyarko and Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto who happens to be his younger brother.
He expressed optimism any of the aforementioned names above will discharge his duty very firmly and effectively when elected as flagbearer of the NPP.
The former President advised the party hierarchy to ensure that there should fairness and in unengineered systems and processes in discharge of it duty in the election of the presidential candidate for the party in order to achieve unity for victory 2024.
“This should devoid of coersion and mechinasation so that the eventual selected nominee when coming out through uncompromised freewill voting of delegates can easily command the support and respect of all party faithful and indeed, other Ghanaian sympathizer to our course towards breaking the 8,” he noted.
By Vincent Kubi