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Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, vice president of the Republic and a possible presidential contender for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has blasted his opponents for spreading false information about him in the run-up to the ruling party’s 4 November 2023 presidential primaries.
According to Dr. Bawumia, his opponents have embraced the adage “if you miss the ball, don’t miss the man” in the wake of Saturday, August 26, 2023’s special electoral college results.
With 68.15% of the total valid votes cast, the vice president became victorious.
Bawumia stated that they have chosen to attach him (the man) for topping the special electoral college polls because his opponent missed the ball and failed to win the polls.
As part of his campaign ahead of the NPP’s flagbearership contest, the vice president addressed NPP delegates in the Tatale-Sanguli constituency in the Northern Region today, Tuesday, October 24, 2023. He mentioned three lies he has heard his opponents tell about him in an effort to sow discord and division within the party.
“We are about to make history in our party and in this country. Unfortunately, the way the results of the super delegates came, many of our opponents are confused and they are seeing a looming defeat on 4 November, and because of that, they have decided to adopt some new tactics.
“The new tactic is [that], if you miss the ball, don’t miss the man, that is the new tactics that they are adopting. They have decided to spread lies to bring disunity amongst us and create problems between chairmen and constituency executives, with polling station executives and electoral area coordinators, they want to knock our heads together” Dr Bawumia said.
“They say I have given all constituency chairmen, 275 constituency chairmen a hundred thousand cedis (GHc 100,000.00), and a pick-up. Have you seen any pick-up here for your chairman? This is just a ridiculous lie” Dr Bawumia stated.
The Vice President stated that he has heard his opponents claim that he will not permit executives of polling places and electoral areas to cast ballots in presidential elections in the future. This, he claims, is the second falsehood that he has heard about him.
“How can this happen? It is not possible for me to stop polling station executives and electoral area coordinators from voting. This was a national conference decision and I was very supportive of expanding the electoral college to allow polling station executives and electoral area coordinators to vote and by the grace of God, they will continue to vote” the Vice President said.
“What I want to do is push for a new reform to allow electoral area coordinators to vote in the election of regional executives. So, we want to rather expand and include everybody. We don’t want to reduce and so that lie must be put to rest” Bawumia added.
The vice president told them a third untruth this morning, claiming that Dr. Bawumia intends to assert that no one should challenge a sitting member of parliament and that all current members should be permitted to remain in office without contest.
“How can I say that? The party’s constitution cannot even allow that. This party is stronger when we have democracy working and so, I will never say any sitting MP must go unopposed. There must be consensus in all constituencies and so that lie should be left alone” the vice president Bawumia said.
Dr Bawumia stated that “But as I have said, their tactic is that “if you miss the ball, don’t miss the man,” but as for this one, they will miss the man because we will not allow their lies to take root”.
On November 4, 2023, NPP delegates will choose a president to guide the party into the general elections of 2024.
The third name on the ballot paper is Dr. Akoto. In the August 26, 2023, Super Delegates Conference, he came in fourth.
On November 4, 2024, more than 210,000 delegates are anticipated to cast ballots in the National Delegates Conference.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
