Reports have emerged suggesting that former President John Agyekum Kufuor is against the proposed Bawumia-Alan ticket for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming 2024 elections.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Suame Constituency, who had been advocating for this ticket, revealed that he had to halt his campaign because the former president did not support the pairing.
Since the 2020 general election, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs has been vocal in promoting Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia as the presidential candidate and former Minister for Trade and Industry Mr. John Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng as his running mate on the NPP ticket.
However, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu had to scale back his campaign due to opposition from individuals, including the former president.
During an interview on Kumasi-based Angel FM, which was monitored by MyNewsGH.com, Hon. Osei-Kyei-Mensah shared his experience, stating, “I consulted our party elder, Former President Kufuor, whom I believed had valuable insights as a former president apart from President Akufo-Addo. I thought his opinion on the matter would be crucial.”
“I approached him, but he disagreed with me. He informed me that the party has its own established processes. The party believes in competition and contests, which are part of the voting process, and thus far, it has not had any negative effects on the party. He explicitly told me that he believed we should continue using that same method because if we adopt a different approach and encounter problems in the future, I would be held responsible,” he added.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu further stated that, although he disagreed with the former president, he had to cease his campaign because “he is an elder of the party, and therefore, I need to show him utmost respect.”
It remains to be seen how this disagreement within the party will impact the selection of the NPP’s presidential ticket for the 2024 elections.
