By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, Nov.2, GNA -Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia says his election as flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will give it a new branding and demonstrate its inclusiveness in the 2024 general election.
It will also neutralise the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) propaganda against the NPP as an “Akan party” and, thus, propel it to victory in 2024.
“My election as NPP flagbearer for election 2024 will neutralise the NDC’s propaganda against our Party,” the NPP presidential hopeful said at a press soiree at his residence in Accra on Thursday.
It was to interact with journalists and bloggers for their support and publicity during his campaign across the 275 constituencies.
Dr Bawumia said Saturday’s election would be a simple test of what the grassroots thought about all the presidential aspirants.
“I have worked with the grassroots of the party for more than 15 years,” he said, and recounted his days as the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana to the time he was selected as candidate Nana Akufo-Addo’s running mate in 2008.
He was also the Party’s Star Witness during the 2012 Election Petition at the Supreme Court and touched on his role as the Vice President of Ghana since 2017.
He made reference to the many policy interventions he had championed as Vice President and the impact they have had on the Ghanaian economy and the people as a whole.
“I’m more of grassroots candidate than the establishment candidate,” Dr Bawumia stated.
He said he was the best candidate among the four who could “break the eight-year election cycle for the ruling party”.
His tour of the 275 constituencies across the 16 regions had enabled him to know the Party’s grassroots better and understand their challenges.
He gave the assurance that his election as the flagbearer would give him the opportunity to bring on board the other contestants and their supporters to forge a united front to win the 2024 general election.
“I’m the best bet to break the eight and am hopeful that the delegates of our party will give me the chance to do so.”
Dr Bawumia described his campaign as fulfilling, which anchored on party unity, issue-based campaign and decency, devoid of insults and personality attacks.
He commended his campaign coordinators, the delegates for their warm welcome, and everyone who supported him in various ways to ensure a successful ending on Tuesday, October 31, in the Upper East Region.
A total of 204,144 delegates will vote in the NPP’s presidential primaries on Saturday, November 4,2023.
Five hundred and sixty three (563) of them are proxy voters.
The election will be held in 277 voting centres across the 275 constituencies.
Regional officers of the Party will vote at designated centres at a constituency within their region.
The aspirant that obtains more than 50 per cent of the votes will be the Party’s flagbearer for the 2024 Election.
GNA