The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, will this weekend kick off the first phase of his 2024 campaign tours from August 3 to 6, 2024, in the Upper East Region after launching his campaign in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital last Saturday.
This follows the outreach community connects campaign outdoored by the 2024 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in the five Northern Regions recently, which gained momentum ahead of the December polls, forcing the former President, John Mahama to launch his campaign in Tamale last week.
Dr Bawumia on Wednesday rounded up his constituency-focused campaign in the five Northern Regions during the Second Phase of his campaign to connect with communities and residents as he was overwhelmed and received an unprecedented reception and endorsement from the residents and chiefs in the Regions.
Dr Bawumia will this weekend also commence another month’s tour in the Eastern Region.
The reception Dr. Bawumia received wasn’t surprising due to the numerous interventions and developmental projects that he has undertaken in the five Northern regions across the board when he became the Vice President which the NDC flagbearer, John Mahama hadn’t when he was Vice President and President.
However, the outreach community connect campaign launched by Dr Bawumia has forced the NDC Presidential Candidate, John Mahama to begin his campaign this weekend with an inaugural stopover in the Upper East Region after the launching in Tamale.
In a statement from his Cousin/Spokesperson, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, noted that this year, the campaign strategy will prioritize smaller events, community engagements, and targeted activities aimed at fostering personal connections and understanding the needs of the citizens.
She stated that ‘’John Mahama is committed to canvassing support from the people of Ghana by leveraging his extensive experience as a leader and promoting the NDC’s development agenda as the best pathway towards building the Ghana we all want together’’.
Survey
A recent survey conducted by Professor Smart Sarpong, the Director of Research and Innovation at Kumasi Technical University, shows that Dr Bawumia is the leading presidential candidate with 38.9% preference for the 2024 general elections.
John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is slightly behind with 36.1%.
The survey reveals Bawumia’s lead in several regions including Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Central, Eastern, North East, Western, and Western North.
The NPP flagbearer, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia has adopted a new campaign strategy by reaching out to the electorate at their base to interact with them.
Dr Bawumia has so far, toured 16 Regions to interact with the Clergy, Muslim leaders, students’ Unions, and market women respectively among other identifiable groups.
He is currently in the second phase of his campaign tour.
However, in a desperate attempt, the former President, John Mahama, who wants to catch the attention of the public has also stepped out to embark on the same move as the Vice President is doing.
Track Records
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia during his tour in the Five Northern Regions criticized former President John Mahama’s track record on northern development during his tenure as Vice President and President.
Dr. Bawumia contrasted his contributions as Vice President with Mahama’s, asserting that he has achieved more development for the north despite never having been President.
“This election, the 2024 election, is a choice between two northerners; between Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Mahama,” he stated.
According to him, “John Mahama has been President of Ghana before. Dr. Bawumia has only been Vice President. So the people of Wa West Constituency, the people of the Upper West Region, and the people of the five northern regions, you are in the best position to tell which of your two sons should be the President of Ghana.”
Dr. Bawumia challenged the crowd to recall any significant projects Mahama initiated for the north during his presidency.
He explained “They said they used the money to rear guinea fowls. We asked where the guinea fowls were, they said they had flown to Burkina Faso. There was no evidence of their work after all those monies in the five northern regions”.
Dr Bawumia further criticized the NDC’s performance in infrastructure development, accusing them of not completing any major roads in the Upper West and Upper East Regions during their eight years in power between 2009 and 2017.
“In the 8 years of the NDC government, the NDC did not complete one major road in Upper West and Upper East Regions,” Bawumia stated.
Dr. Bawumia highlighted the NPP’s achievements in the Northern Regions. “In the five northern regions, we have 28 districts without district hospitals. We have implemented Agenda 111, and today you can see that the Agenda 111 hospital in Wechiau is 80% complete,” Bawumia said.
The NPP flagbearer further listed various development projects in Wa West, Upper West, and the northern regions, asserting that he has championed more progress for the north in his role as Vice President than Mahama did as President.
Dr Bawumia assured that he would do even more for the north and Ghana if elected President.
BY Daniel Bampoe