Ben Ephson says the vice-president “is in a pole position for the flagbearer” position of the NPP in the lead up to the 2024 elections
Renowned pollster, Ben Ephson has said that vice-president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is in a prime position to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general elections.
His assertion follows Monday’s declaration by NPP stalwart and former MP for the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa constituency, PC Appiah-Ofori that he prefers Bawumia as the presidential candidate for the party.
Speaking to Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulleting on Monday (16 May), Ephson said “moving to PC Appiah-Ofori’s choice of Bawumia, he’s been in the party long enough and I think that Bawumia is in a pole position for the flagbearer. I think that I agree with PC Appiah-Ofori that Bawumia seems to be in pole position.”
“I think that people are entitled to their views. Even though some have come out declaring for Alan [Kyerematen] so, PC Appiah-Ofori coming out for Bawumia, he has one vote.”
Bawumia is not being projected as next NPP flagbearer
Meanwhile, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has dismissed assertions suggesting that there is a general acceptance of Bawumia as the next flagbearer of the party.
The NPP is yet to open nominations for the position, however, the vice-president’s name and a few others such as the former Energy Minister Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen, former Railways Minister Joe Ghartey, and the Agric Minister Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto are already making rounds as contenders.
Speaking with Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on The Asaase Breakfast Show after the NPP delegates’ conference in Kumasi, the communications director of NPP, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, said all flagbearer hopefuls will be given a level playing ground to compete.
“This is not the first time a vice-president is contesting for the leadership of our party. I do recall the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama contested in the 2007 primaries of the NPP, though he didn’t win, he came third.
“And so, as a sitting Vice-President, he was enabled by our rules, which allow anybody and everybody to also contest. As sitting Vice-President, he didn’t have to resign or anything of that sort, so our rules are resilient enough to take care of all the contestants who want to,” Asamoa said.
He added: “We are not going to restrict anybody from being elected through the electoral college, which is the constitutional amendment from our experience when 17 people ran for the presidency of the party.”
