The leadership of the governing New Patriotic Party(NPP),have been advised to stop the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana,Dr.Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia and his supporters to refrain from promoting religious and tribal campaign ahead of the party’s internal elections.
A group calling itself NPP Youth for Victory 2024 in a press conference on Monday 10th January,2022 condmned campaign based on religious and tribal politics especially been peddled by the Dr.Bawumia’s supporters.
Speaking on a sub-topic “THE LOOMING DANGER OF TRIBAL AND RELIGIOUS POLITICS BEING PEDDLED BY SUPPORTERS OF THE VICE PRESIDENT (ALHAJI DR. M. BAWUMIA)”
the group said Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot finish this conference without mentioning the dangerous irresponsibility which in recent times have been the order of the campaign of the Vice president.
We all know that the mantra of the second gentleman’s campaign is hinged on digitization, however we find it irresponsible the number of complaints we have received from accross the country that certain individuals moving round in the name of the second gentleman’s campaign are campaigning on the fact that Ghana should support the Veep because he is a northner and a Muslim.
We do not see how the Vice President who in one breath shows he is tolerant and even attends Christian Church services will be going round telling people to support him because he is a Muslim.
Such chameleon attitude is not fit for nation building. Unfortunately we have never heard the Vice president calling any of the proponents of such irresponsibility to order. The latest one is the Campaign by the Deputy majority chief whip of Ghana’s Parliament in the person of Hon Alhaji Habib Iddrisu, who is also the MP for Tolon Constituency in the Northern Region.
It must be noted that as per the electoral rules laid down by the party, if it were a supporter of another potential candidate behind such heinous actions, that person would have been eliminated from the race before the campaign begins but the general secretary who is already boot-liking the Veep cannot do anything about this and even when other prominent members of the party commit themselves in such irresponsible manner, because the executive is in bed with the Veep they are unable to call such actions to order and crack the whip.
Many African countries have been devastated by tribal and religious politics and we will not let any individual or group use such a slippery slope to dip Ghana’s democracy and discredit our great party.
Below is the full text of NPP Youth for Victory 2022 :
January 10, 2022:
NPP YOUTH FOR VICTORY 2024
Press Conference
DR BAWUMIA AND HIS SUPPORTERS ARE DIVIDING AND DESTROYING NPP*
INTRODUCTION
Ladies and gentlemen of the media fraternity, Fellow NPP lovers, other well-meaning Ghanaians who wish well for our beloved country, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen herein present; we are highly elated to welcome you all to this all important Press Conference to address the NPP Fraternity and the General Public on the above subject and to set the records straight on the Tradition of the Party since its inception several decades ago. We have carefully selected you all for this all important conference because of your unbiased reportage and the trust we have reposed in you for the past years
PURPOSE OF THE GROUP
The NPP YOUTH FOR VICTORY 2024 is a group of experienced professional men and women of the NPP with a common purpose to pull resources together (financial, logistics, and manpower) to ensure that the NPP Breaks the 8 come 2024 general elections.
1. FLOUTING OF THE PARTY’S CODE OF CONDUCT WITH IMPUNITY AND NO ACTION TAKEN BY THE PARTY DESPITE CLEARLY STIPULATED CONSEQUENCES FOR BREACHING THE CODE.
Ladies and gentlemen, prior to the recent National Delegates Conference a communique was issued from the NPP Headquarters pointing out clearly what each potential candidate and their supporters ought not to do. We found candidates complying with these directives and we want to commend all those who did, and to appreciate your respect for law and order.
However supporters of our desperate vice president were spotted flouting the rules of engagement by wearing Bawumia branded T-shirts to the grounds some of whom confided in us that they were given the T-shirt and Ghc 10 to come and cheer up the Vice President. Amazingly, as though the Bawumia branded T-shirt was equivalent to accreditation card, all those wearing the printed shirts were granted access to the conference grounds to come and deliberately disturb the peace of Delegates to think for the party.
We also saw Bill boards of the vice president raised by a group calling itself “friends of Bawumia” and our shameless national officers looked on and took no action to bring such nuisance to order.
A similar issue happened during the celebration of the final Adae Kese Festival, where supporters of Dr. Bawumia displayed placards, t-Shirts and banners of the so-called Friends of Bawumia, even after the issuing of the code of conduct.
This happened right in front of the General Secretary John Boadu and Chairman Wuntumi and at no point did any of them call this action to order either at the event or even after the event. This shows a selective application of the code which is not proper for the development of our party.
Another issue we sadly observed at the conference is the intentional breach of protocol as a propagandist way of launching Bawumia campaign. Protocol demands the President should be the last dignitary to be seated at such functions, yet for this staged Delegates Conference, the Vice President, who seemed to have forgotten all proper protocols decided to come late to the conference after the president was seated and to disturb the sanctity of same. Up to this time, the leadership of the party has not even coughed about it .
2. SOME SELFISH PEOPLE OPENLY CAMPAIGNING FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT
We have been watching the party’s top hierarchy before and after the National Delegates Conference in Kumasi and how some Members of Parliament led by Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (Majority Group Leader), Hon. Amin Anta (MP, Karaga), Hon. Habib Iddrisu (MP, Tolon), Hon. Farouk Mahama (MP, Yendi), Mr. Anthony Karbo, Nana Boakye (Nana B), Chairman Wuntumi (the Ashanti Regional Chairman), Mr. Mohammed A. Baantima Samba (Northern Regional Chairman), Mr. Kwabena Nsenkyire among others have kept on violating the party’s directives by openly declaring their support for the Vice-President’s flagbearership bid without any rebuke from the party’s hierarchy. This is not the best for a party that is seeking to break the 8. So far as the party has stopped other potential aspirants from campaign, such activities shouldn’t be encouraged. It seems it is right for the Vice President and his supporters to flout party rules but other candidates cannot do same. This must stop.
3. TARGETING OF PERCEIVED ALAN SUPPORTERS WITH SUSPENSION
Our group has observed that, there seem to be a grand scheme targeted at individuals who are perceived to be supporters of the Hon. Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, to become the flag-bearer of the party and eventually the president of Ghana. It is rather worrying and an affront to our collective objective for known campaigners of Dr. Bawumia to threaten and in some cases sack persons perceived to be loyal to Mr. Kyerematen.
Just last week Alhaji Ibrahim Kaleem, a member of the Northern Regional Communication team of the party, and Mr. Dawda Jentumah, Choggu West Electoral Area Coordinator in the Tamale Central Constituency have been issued with suspension letters for discussing and advancing Mr. Kyerematen’s contribution to the party since 1992. This selective “canker” must not be encouraged.
4. THE LOOMING DANGER OF TRIBAL AND RELIGIOUS POLITICS BEING PEDDLED BY SUPPORTERS OF THE VICE PRESIDENT (ALHAJI DR. M. BAWUMIA)
Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot finish this conference without mentioning the dangerous irresponsibility which in recent times have been the order of the campaign of the Vice president. We all know that the mantra of the second gentleman’s campaign is hinged on digitization, however we find it irresponsible the number of complaints we have received from accross the country that certain individuals moving round in the name of the second gentleman’s campaign are campaigning on the fact that Ghana should support the Veep because he is a northner and a Muslim.
We do not see how the Vice President who in one breath shows he is tolerant and even attends Christian Church services will be going round telling people to support him because he is a Muslim. Such chameleon attitude is not fit for nation building. Unfortunately we have never heard the Vice president calling any of the proponents of such irresponsibility to order. The latest one is the Campaign by the Deputy majority chief whip of Ghana’s Parliament in the person of Hon Alhaji Habib Iddrisu, who is also the MP for Tolon Constituency in the Northern Region.
It must be noted that as per the electoral rules laid down by the party, if it were a supporter of another potential candidate behind such heinous actions, that person would have been eliminated from the race before the campaign begins but the general secretary who is already boot-liking the Veep cannot do anything about this and even when other prominent members of the party commit themselves in such irresponsible manner, because the executive is in bed with the Veep they are unable to call such actions to order and crack the whip.
Many African countries have been devastated by tribal and religious politics and we will not let any individual or group use such a slippery slope to dip Ghana’s democracy and discredit our great party.
5. DEFILEMENT OF THE NPP’S MOTTO : DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM
The key pillar on which the NPP stand is the motto “Development in Freedom”. We do acknowledge that the leadership of His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo is doing well by providing development in Ghana, He has done so much that can help the party to retain power. However the Freedom of expression in the New Patriotic Party has been defiled and abused, manipulated and misused by the holders of the keys to the powers that be.
Whiles it is a crime to openly support some other candidates, it is as if it is an acceptable norm to support some others, this is like the animal kingdom saying that all NPP members are equal but Bawumia is more equal than others. This behavior seems to have amassed a lot of hatred for the Vice President. His perceived presidential ambition should not become a reason to butcher others with similar or perhaps better chances to lead the great elephant party into the 2024 general elections.
Again, we have observed how the Campaign Team (for want of a better word) of Bawumia are moving from constituency to constituency campaigning, meeting delegates and potential delegates and giving them money to support the Vice President’s bid. It will be a dent on the integrity of National officers of NPP if they claim not to have seen this, but the question is what have they done about it? If it were another candidate, maybe that person would be suspended if not sacked from the party. Why are we killing those who bled for this party to stand for the sake of someone who came from nowhere to enjoy power and prominence in our party?
6. RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE NORTHRN REGION
We cannot finish this meeting without speaking to the recent happenings at the Northern Region. The sad part is the Regional Chairman himself has confirmed supporting the bid of the Vice President and yet is sacking communicators from the party for attending events that are perceived to talk about Alan Kyerematen.
Whether this is wizardry or myopia, we expect that as soon as the matter broke the national secretariat should have called the parties to order and kill the hypocrisy before it is escalated, but perhaps because it is they who are behind such shameful dismissals, our national secretariat has been loudly quiet about the issues.
Time will not permit us to go into the details, but we will leave this to the able decision of the Council of Elders to ensure that such issues are quickly resolved in order not to breed sharp divisions in the party which can affect our chance for a shot at another victory.
7. CONCLUSION
Another electoral victory for the NPP is an automatic key to ensure the continuity in the development of Ghana our motherland and we will not mince words but will speak directly to the powers that be, and boldly confront you to sit up, you stand to gain more if we win power and yet your attitude is less of bravado and more of puppets of mediocrity. This must stop before we start a campaign to ensure that no national officer is retained. You are therefore kindly advised to play by the very book you have written. For us, victory is all we need, and we will go at all ends to make sure it does not elude us. I
Ladies and gentlemen, we want to thank you all for making time with us, we hope that when the respected H.E Akufo-Addo has finished serving Ghana as president, we will be able to get another son of the Elephant to continue the legacy and break the 8-year cycle of political rotation in the country.
We as a group will do everything to ensure that this is done and done well. The NPP must win and win again to keep Ghana on a continuous growth tangent.
Long Live Ghana
Long Live the NPP
Long Live the President of Ghana
SPEAKERS:
1. Name: Jerry John Campbell
Constituency: Okaikwei North
2. Name: Edward Adams
Constituency : Upper Denkyira East
3. Name: Frederick Opoku
Constituency: Weija Gbawe
