The writer
“Bigotry is the disease of ignorance, of morbid minds; enthusiasm of the free and buoyant; education and free discussion are the antidotes of both.” — Thomas Jefferson
The recent remarks by the Member of Parliament for Asante Akim South, Kwaku Asante Boateng, and his subsequent attempt at “clarification,” have left many within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and beyond deeply disturbed.
What began as an unfortunate outburst on Adom TV has now evolved into a calculated attempt to justify prejudice and mask ethnocentric undertones under the guise of “context.”
Let it be said without ambiguity: there is no room for bigotry in the New Patriotic Party.
Dissecting the MP’s “Clarification”
Kwaku Asante Boateng’s press release, dated November 1, 2025, claims his comments were “misrepresented” and that at no point did he “imply, use, or endorse” the language of slavery or tribal attack. Yet, his own statement betrays the weakness of this defense.
He concedes that he referred to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as a “stranger” to the party’s internal structures—a statement which, whether deliberate or careless, carries a profound insult.
To describe a man who has served the NPP faithfully for nearly two decades as running mate, Vice President, flagbearer and presidential candidate as a “stranger” is not contextual; it is contemptuous.
Moreover, the MP’s insistence that his intent was “contextual” and “focused on circumstances surrounding the nomination” exposes the very flaw he seeks to conceal.
Intent does not erase impact. Words have meaning, especially when uttered by a legislator whose voice carries moral and political weight. When he said “stranger,” the ordinary listener did not hear “limited prior involvement.” They heard alienation, a deliberate framing of Dr. Bawumia as an outsider to a tradition he has helped elevate.
By attempting to downplay his own words, Mr. Asante Boateng fails to show remorse. Instead, he shifts blame to “media distortions,” a tactic too familiar in politics—where one plants a seed of division and then blames the gardener for watering it.
His selective invocation of Northern NPP stalwarts such as Malik Alhassan Yakubu, Hajia Alima Mahama, and others adds another layer of contradiction. If indeed he recognises their dedication and service, then his earlier insinuation that Dr. Bawumia was a “stranger” or “slave” undermines that very recognition. It draws an unspoken line between “them” and “us,” North and South—a dangerous dichotomy that our party has long fought to eliminate.
The moral and political failure
To suggest that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, a loyal son of our tradition, an intellectual of global repute, and the former Vice President of the Republic, is an “outsider” is not only morally wrong but politically reckless.
The people of Asante Akim South did not elect Mr. Asante Boateng because of his tribe; they chose him because they believed in his ability to represent them as Ghanaians first.
His remarks, therefore, insult not just Dr. Bawumia, but the collective intelligence and unity of his own constituents. The people of Asante Akim South deserve better.
The NPP’s proud heritage was not built on tribal entitlement, but on intellect, sacrifice, inclusivity, and patriotism. From the Danquah, Busia, and Dombo tradition emerged leaders who believed that leadership is earned through service, not inherited through bloodlines.
The foundation of the UP tradition—the mother root of the NPP—rested on the shoulders of multiple ethnicities united by purpose: the freedom of the Ghanaian, the preservation of democracy, and the promotion of merit over identity.
We cannot now allow that noble tradition to be tainted by the casual bigotry of a few.
The true measure of Dr Bawumia
Dr. Bawumia has earned his place in our political history not by tribe but by toil. Through brilliance, humility, competence, and unshakable loyalty to the NPP and to Ghana, he has proven that leadership is about service, not surname.
We reward hard work, not royalty.
We honor loyalty to our principles, not longevity of association.
To reduce him to the language of servitude is to betray the principles of justice and fairness that define us. We may disagree within the family, but to label one of our own a “slave” or a “stranger” is unpatriotic and unbecoming of any leader in our fold.
Lessons from history
History teaches us that those whom the world once called slaves often became the architects of its freedom. From Frederick Douglass to Booker T. Washington, from Robert Smalls to Barack Obama, the story of progress is always the story of men and women who transcended prejudice and proved that destiny is not determined by origin but by purpose.
If the Honorable Member for Asante Akim South truly believes in democracy, he must know that to call a man a “slave” because of his birthplace is to confess one’s own captivity to ignorance.
True leadership is not defined by tribe, but by truth; not by ancestry, but by ability; not by region, but by reason.
The party’s moral responsibility
The NPP cannot afford to cultivate the weeds of tribalism in its garden of progress. Bigotry has no place at our table. Our Party’s destiny is too important, and our people too diverse, to be held hostage by narrow-minded individuals who see politics through the lens of ethnicity.
We must reaffirm that in the New Patriotic Party, no Ghanaian is an outsider, no patriot is a slave, and no tribal bigot will determine our future.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia embodies the best of what our party stands for: a unifying force, a son of the Republic, and a symbol that in Ghana, every child, regardless of tribe or tongue, can rise to the highest calling of service.
Finally
Mr. Asante Boateng’s press release, while dressed in diplomatic language, failed the simplest test of contrition. It sought to explain away rather than own up. But Ghanaians are discerning; we know sincerity when we see it. The NPP deserves leaders who heal wounds, not ones who open them.
As Scripture reminds us, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is that cornerstone. The future of the NPP and of Ghana will be built not on tribal arrogance, but on unity, merit, and moral conviction.
Long live the NPP! Long live Ghana!
By Emmanuel Yaw Mensah, Deputy Secretary, NPP-USA