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The demands of our policy require that electoral competitions are not a single organized event, however, they are carried out within a multiplicity of processes that can lead to a triumphant end either by open or covert means: every moment counts in the politics, and each space must be contested without the limitation of time.
Therefore, we cannot ignore the persistent-obvious that is pressing on our heels of “the time is not yet” as we continue to murmur in our homes, small gatherings, offices, and so on. about who we should expect to hold our party’s flag. in the next presidential primaries.
It is important that we demonstrate sobriety, integration and non-disintegration in each step of the political processes on the part of the different interest blocs.
As such, we must be open to a broader, healthier, and more progressive public conversation about who is the best fit to ride the elephant’s back to victory in the 2024 presidential election as a measure to energize and excite our grassroots, to the extent in which it is cordially done with the bigger picture in sight as we continue the aggressive business of running a successful government by helping the president, Nana Akufo Addo, consolidate our accomplishments thus far: it is possible to walk and chew gum at the same time.
Therefore, I am inclined to the premise of the aforementioned principle of offering my firm opinion on the way forward for our party in regards to the upcoming presidential primaries.
The big question remains, then, who is capable of handing us the Presidency with little or no difficulty in the not too distant future?
Having measured the pulse of the NPP members, supporters and good people of Ghana, analyzed the strengths and electoral records of potential candidates seeking to lead our great party, and on critical and reflective thinking, I am without a doubt that the Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has a great advantage that can cement our victory in the general elections of 2024.
Having said the obvious along with the grace and goodwill that accompanies the candidacy of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia through the ranks of our party, including the generality of Ghanaians, in the following paragraphs and in the second part of this epistle , I will detail a cocktail of the reasons why, in my considered opinion, I consider him worthy of reaching the high position of standard-bearer of our party and, later, of president of our great republic.
The ‘Bawumia Effect’ – Voter Registration – Personality
To put it more succinctly, it is important that an unavoidable factor that must be taken into account in the search for the successor to President Nana Akufo Addo, is one’s electoral record, namely his personality.
Indeed, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s first attempt to launch himself into the national political front was when he teamed up with then-candidate Nana Akufo Addo in the 2008 general election as his running mate.
Then the NDC had put forward an established candidate, in the person of John Evans Atta Mills (as he was then) of blessed memory, who, having been Vice President of then-President John Rawlings of blessed memory, had gained a considerable level of electoral experience after having traveled all corners of our country continuously: he had participated in three grueling general elections in 2000 (first and second round) and in 2004, respectively, as acting vice president and leader of the opposition.
However, the running mate who accompanied candidate Mills of blessed memory in the 2008 general elections was John Dramani Mahama (as he was then), a man who was not a rookie in the context of Ghanaian politics, a former MP and an important Minister of Communications with a credit of more than 13 years as an elected Member of Parliament for the Bole-Bamboi constituency.
In contrast to these available facts, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in his first attempt as a running mate, was able to help Nana Akufo Addo (as he was then) and the PNP to win the first round elections with more than 4 million votes representing an impressive record of over 49% on your first try.
Suffice it to say that the PNP with a minimal margin almost won the presidential election that included Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on the ballot.
Fast forward, despite the fact that John Dramani Mahama enjoyed much support as vice president and later as president of the northern region (as he was then), his fortune in the region has been steadily declining to the benefit of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. which has proven to be a force to be reckoned with within the same territory.
The enviable personality of Dr. Bawumia and his strategic deployment of political tools to win the hearts and minds of the people of the North and turn what has been known since the inception of the Fourth Republic as the stronghold of the NDC into a ‘courtyard recess’. of the nuclear power plant.
It was not surprising that before the 2020 general election, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia reiterated that the battlefield for the general election will be in the North.
True to his words, the election result is dazzling for all to see – he has proven to have a demonstrable presence and firm control of the North region (as it was then), which has now been divided to include the Northeast and Savannah. . Regions.
Today, one of the major powers of the NDC has been torpedoed by the ‘Bawumia Effect’.
At Dr Mahamudu Bawumia we have an added advantage to consolidate our strongholds as we capture and make serious electoral forays into the backyards of what used to be the ‘world bank’ of our main opponents, which is the NDC.
The ‘Bawumia effect’: strong political base.
One must understand that in this ‘political enterprise’ it is almost impossible to win an election without a solid political foundation to serve as a springboard to boost the chances of victory.
We should not strive to look for just one standard-bearer to satisfy our party’s constitutional base or requirement, but more importantly, a proven candidate who can win and who can get votes from hard-to-reach areas and secure the Presidency. .
The growth trajectory in terms of ‘electoral numbers’ of the Northern Region (as it was then) cannot be overemphasized since the appearance of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on the political landscape some 11 years ago. These facts are not open to dispute as it is hackneyed knowledge.
The ‘Northern Politics’ used to be dominated by the NDC and to a large extent can be described as one of their ‘world banks’ where they got a lot of votes to shore up their presidential and parliamentary votes, as I indicated above. .
Yet these electoral fortunes have steadily shifted from the far left to the center, which at best can be described as ‘kyempe’ in the Akan language. The ‘Bawumia effect’ contributed largely, if not entirely, to this momentous pattern of change that has driven our electoral fortunes since 2008.
Statistically, in 2008, the PNP could only boast four parliamentary seats in the Northern Region (as then). In fact, the parliamentary seats increased to nine in 2012 and 13 seats in 2016, respectively.
Currently, the North Region (as then) has been divided into three regions, namely the North Region, the Northeast, and the Savannah Region. The NPP currently has nine seats in the current Northern Region, which is equal to the number of NDC seats in the same region.
The NPP has three seats in the Savannah region while the NDC controls four seats in the region. The NPP controls the Northeast Region with four parliamentary seats while the NDC has two seats.
Technically, the NDC is behind the NPP with 15 seats, while the NPP has the majority of the 16 parliamentary seats in the Northern Region (as it was then).
The presidential elections have had their fair share of the ‘Bawumia Effect’, that is, from 39.11% in 2012 to 41.5% in 2016 as their share of the northern region votes (as it was then).
This important electoral evasion of the PNP in the Northern Region (as it was then) was due in large part to the person of the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who has been strategically tilting the land, a benefit that we enjoy in the PNP until today. .
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as a standard-bearer for the PNP, includes the North Region, the Savannah Region and the Northeast Region in the ‘bag’ as a solid foundation to increase our electoral chances of not only having the majority of seats in parliament. , but also ensure the presidency. Also, these are usually not our traditional base.
Let me also add that the mere fact that a person comes from one place is not conclusive of an automatic base of support that is capable of translating into an electoral fortune for the party, especially when one has not tilted, plowed and naturalized the place of one way that is evident in the case study of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
