New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership hopeful Kennedy Agyapong has reiterated his call to delegates of the party not to vote for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia because he is from the north.
Kennedy Agyapong, who came under fire recently for making similar comments on a US-based radio, repeated his call over the weekend in an interview with Time FM in Kumasi.
According to the Assin Central Member of Parliament, the 2024 Presidential election will likely have about five northerners contesting, so NPP should not choose another northerner as its flagbearer, to avoid splitting votes, and urged delegates not to be swayed by former President Mahama’s public claim that the NPP would never elect Vice President Bawumia as its flagbearer.
“Five people from that small area (north) will likely contest for votes so the question is, how many votes can this person you want to elect bring [from the north] that you insist he must be elected?” said Kennedy Agyapong.
He slammed politicians from the Ashanti Region for supporting Vice President Bawumia.
“Ashanti politicians say they are not satisfied with whatever they have had so they have to sacrifice for that person who is going to share the votes with about five northern presidential candidates. Does it make sense to you?
“So are you looking at what Mahama told NPP? Delegates listen to me carefully; you are likely to have 5 northerners who will be on the ballot, who will share votes in the five northern regions and because of that you want to act because of what Mahama said?”
The NPP goes to the poll on Saturday, November 4 to elect a new flagbearer for next year’s elections.
Four candidates – Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong, former Agric Minister Dr. Owusu Afryie Akoto and former Mampong MP Francis Addai Nimo – will be on the ballot, after emerging from August’s Super Delegates Conference.
Vice President Bawumia won the Super Delegates Conference by winning more than two-thirds of the votes, and he has been tipped to be elected the NPP’s flagbearer with a wide margin.