The Osono flagbearership contest is heating up as the August 26 super delegates congress draws closer. All manner of political salvos are being thrown in the direction of only one candidate. It has now become a contest of “One (1) against the Gang of Nine (9)”.
Yes, you heard right! Nine candidates are literally opposed to the candidature of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice-President. They see Dr. Bawumia as the stranger who is coming to snatch away their inheritance. One can easily perceive the jealousy and envy anytime they speak about the Vice-President.
I will discuss only 3 of the contestants in this piece because the other 7 are only adding up to the numbers. The ‘Delusional 7’, as I call them, will definitely wake up and smell the coffee on August 26.
As I wrote sometime back, I realized the battle lines had been drawn when Hon. Alan Kyeremanten, aka Chief Alan, resigned early this year. I expected him and his handlers to put up a spirited campaign, but never expected them to be this reckless.
The speech that announced his candidature for the Osono contest portrayed him as a saint, while it referred to the government he had then resigned from as incompetent. Saying there would be a clear departure from ‘No Action, Talk Only (NATO)’ to ‘Great Transformational Plan (GTP)’ clearly implied that the government he was part of for six years was NATO.
So I ask; on whose achievements will he campaign should he be elected as the Osono flagbearer? Is it not ironic that he is touting his so-called achievements as Trade Minister in the said NATO government.
The sheer hypocrisy of demeaning a government that you were part of, and at the same time leveraging your association with the system to campaign for votes!
My friend Torgbui Titriku II sees it as Chief Alan gleefully rubbing chilli powder in his own eyes and I couldn’t agree more. It’s obvious he is digging his own grave.
His resignation in 2007 was tantamount to shooting himself in the foot. His poor showing in subsequent flagbearership elections in 2010 and 2014, 19% and 4% respectively, proved that fact.
The NATO theory is the last nail in the coffin for him. Trust the delegates to punish him for the recklessness and hypocrisy.
Now to Hon. Kennedy Agyapong. His campaign seems to be gaining grounds. There is no doubt that the grassroots love him because they believe he always promotes their interest.
Ken is using what many analysts call ‘The Trump Strategy’. Indeed, there are similarities between the two. Both are wealthy businessmen and also believe in unconventional campaign styles as they target the grassroots, and not the political establishment.
Per what we see on social media, it appears Ken is making inroads as his street talk seems to resonate with the downtrodden. His patriotic nature could be his trump card, but I still doubt he will be able to pull it off as Trump did.
Did I hear you ask why? Okay, here is why; The voters in Kwame Okro’s homeland are not as sophisticated as those in Obroniland.
Also, the system that selected Trump is very different from the system being deployed by those riding on the Elephant. Not forgetting the formidable nature of the man he needs to beat to win the Osono flagbearership contest.
Yes, Dr. Bawumia is the man I refer to. He is the man who defended the party in court for 8 months during the 2013 election petition and helped in revolutionizing the country’s electoral process at the polling station.
His analysis, presentation and revelation marked the turning point of the party’s electoral operations, thus earning him the name ‘Dr. Pink Sheet’.
His achievements as Vice-President are unprecedented. Chief among them is the digitalization agenda, which has improved transparency and efficiency in the system.
For example, the acquisition and renewal of passport which were hitherto fraught with delays can now be done in days. His ‘Gold for Oil’ project has not only helped in improving the prices of fuel, but also stabilized the Cedi against other currencies.
Despite the decline in economic gains made in the first term of the Nana Dee government, Dr Bawumia still stands tall among his peers. That he is the man of innovation cannot be disputed by even his political rivals.
Believe me when I say it wouldn’t even be a close contest. Yes, Alan claims he is next in line to lead. But the delegates will definitely show the world that the Osono flagbearership position is not a royal stool with a succession plan.
See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!