The Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch Newspaper, Benjamin Emmanuel Ephson has said that voters in the Ashanti will likely not vote for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) if Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is elected the party’s flagbearer.
The economist and Trade Minister, Alan Kyeremanteng have emerged the top runners in the flagbearership race of the ruling political party.
Many have tipped the current Vice President to emerge top as according to his supporters, he will enjoy incumbency advantage at the party’s congress.
It has been argued that the NPP wouldn’t want to ditch him for another candidate because he is from the Northern part of the country where the party has not been performing well.
It has also been argued that this is the right time for the NPP party to prove to Ghanaians that it is not an Akan-centered political party.
Commenting on this on Angel 102.9FM’s Morning Show, Anopa Bofo, Ben Ephson opined that he wasn’t sure that Dr Bawumia will garner the needed votes to ascend the presidency when he becomes flagbearer.
His reason, he said, lie in the fact that Ashantis, who are the spine of the NPP would want a to vote for a Northerner to lead them as President.
“If they go for straight elections and Bawumia wins, Ashantis won’t vote for him because they think it’s their turn…if Kyeremanten also wins, the NPP supporters in Northern Regions won’t also vote because they may think the NPP is just using them…,” he said.
Interestingly, the votes of Ashantis are very critical to the NPP party as their vote difference made the NPP win the Presidential election of 2020.
He has therefore called on the NPP to build consensus and elect a candidate who can help them win power in 2024.
