Odeneho Kwaku Appiah
Former Afigya-Kwabre South Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region, Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, has urged the party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to settle on a running mate now to save the party in the region from further bickering.
Popularly known as COKA, Odeneho said just like many others in the NPP, he believes the party’s running mate will be from the Ashanti Region.
“And so there have been many lobbying for their preferred candidates, thereby creating division and tension in the region,” he asserted.
“It is a known fact that various interest groups within the party have started lobbying for their preferred candidate to be chosen as the vice presidential candidate for the party.
“To make the ticket of the pairing stronger, many have urged the NPP to choose its running mate from the Ashanti Region, which is the ‘world bank’ of the party. So the lobbying is intense in the Ashanti Region and therefore seems to have created tension and deep division,” he emphasised.
Odeneho stated that the tension and seeming division have the potential to hurt the NPP because of the large number of votes from the region, indicating that an overwhelming performance in the Ashanti Region will signify a likely victory for the NPP in the general election.
He, therefore, called on Dr. Bawumia to make the running mate selection sooner to avoid further divisions and to prevent the NDC, which has targeted the region, from gaining control.
“The NDC, our main opponent, has made the Ashanti Region its target to get more votes, going into 2024 elections. Their attention is not even on their world bank, the Volta Region.
“It is important we in the NPP do not allow the selection of a running mate to divide Ashanti Region the most. The fact is, if the Ashanti Region fails the NPP, the NPP party will be in big trouble,” COKA indicated.
According to him, by naming the running mate now, the party will be able to quickly manage any fallouts through the region’s reconciliation team, chaired by Mr. Edward Boateng.
“Indeed, per our revised Constitution in Article 13 Section 3(1) and (2), our candidate ought to have selected our running mate by the close of December last year.
“However, per his request for extension, it was granted by the National Council. Recent events, especially in the Ashanti Region are not encouraging.
“The party leaders are undermining each other. Some are making unsubstantiated allegations against each other, which are affecting the party in the region,” Odeneho said.
He stated that as a concerned member of the NPP, his and many others’ fear is that if the process is delayed, the crack would grow deeper and more distressing, which will not help the party’s mission to ‘break the eight’.
“Ghana and the NPP need Dr. Bawumia to save the country from going back in development,” he said in a statement posted on his Facebook.
Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah also urged all defeated aspirants in the party’s primaries to come onboard to help the NPP campaign.
“I contested for the regional chairmanship position. It was fierce competition and unfortunately I lost, but I can’t turn my back to the party I love. I am fully onboard the party’s campaign to help break the eight for NPP. We have only one NPP. 2024 is the ultimate, let’s unite behind the big elephant,” he asserted.