Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the former Vice President, has finally replied to a statement made by an NPP member of parliament tagging him as a stranger within the NPP.
According to Dr Bawumia, after serving the NPP for 17 years, how can anyone call him a stranger within the NPP?
Dr Bawumia cited that his roots within the NPP can be traced to the United Party (UP) and the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition.
Speaking to delegates and party faithful during his tour of the Oti Region, Dr Bawumia stated, “Today, some of my opponents say I am an outsider and a stranger, who does not deserve to lead the party because of where I come from.
This is dangerous, divisive and contrary to the diversity of our unifying tradition,” he stated.
He added, “Those who say this don’t understand our history. Our tradition is the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition, formed by all the main tribes across Ghana. This is the tradition of the NPP”.
“If Dr Bawumia, after 17 years of service to the party, is described as an outsider and stranger, how do we grow the party to attract new members from all parts of Ghana?” he asked.
Dr Bawumia further declared, “Any member from any part of the country can lead the party if you are capable. It does not matter where you are—Dagomba, Ga, Dangbe, Sefwi, Ewe, Dagarti, Wala, Bono, Asante, Akyem, Kwahu, Mamprusi, Kusasi, Konkomba, Fante, Frafra, Guan, Gonja, Sisala, Kasena, Kotokoli, Bimoba, or Chakosi.”
Dr Bawumia’s comments come on the back of a member of parliament for Asante Akyem South, Kwaku Asante Boateng, describing the former vice president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, as a stranger.
According to the NPP member of parliament, Dr Bawumia was an alien and a stranger in the NPP who was brought in and made vice president and should have stepped aside after serving for eight years as vice president.
He claimed, Dr Bawumia is part of the reason there is no peace in the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The Asante Akyem South MP likened Dr Bawumia’s situation in the NPP to a stranger in a family who was brought into the family but was later made the successor, which causes conflict in the family.
Speaking on Adom TV on the Badwam show, Hon. Kwaku Asante Boateng explained, “If there is a seat at home, and your uncle or brother is the one sitting on the seat, you know that when he dies, you are next in line. But later, they go and bring someone who is not part of the family, saying that when the Chief die, he is going to replace him. This brings conflict in the family; this is the issue happening in the NPP.
We went to bring the stranger (Bawumia) and gave him a position as vice president, even though there were people who could have also been vice president”.
When asked what Dr Bawumia should have done after serving as vice president, he added, “ I feel Dr Bawumia should have pulled himself away and later return, which would not have brought out the internal conflicts”.
He is a factor of the NPP internal conflict; he is a part of it. Are we saying that at the party will not get any Northerner who has been with the party for so long for that position?, It was about recognition that was why he was called”, he added.