The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has declared his intention to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general election.
The Vice-President told the Majority Caucus in Parliament last Tuesday of his intention to contest the presidential primary slated for November 4 this year.
He made this known when he met members of the majority after an emergency reconvening by the House to approve six international loans totalling $750 million.
Endorsement
During the meeting, about 90 per cent of the Majority Caucus in Parliament declared their support for the bid of the Vice-President.
“We have declared our unflinching support to the Vice-President and we hope it could even be more,” the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, told the Daily Graphic yesterday after a closed- door meeting last Tuesday.
The Majority Chief Whip said the unanimous endorsement by the group gives little chance to the other eight contestants vying for the single slot to get such massive endorsement.
The Vice-President is in the race with former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; former Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto; Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP), Kennedy Agyapong, and a former MP for Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Francis Addai Nimoh.
The rest are a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General and MP for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey; a former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyepong; Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku and former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko.
Despite the endorsement en bloc by the majority group, Dr Bawumia and three-time runner, Alan Kyerematen, are considered as the front runners for the single slot.
The party is expected to elect one of the nine as presidential candidate for the 2024 election.
Nomination for the presidential primary begins on May 26 and ends on June 24, 2023.
The party’s parliamentary primaries are scheduled for February next year.
According to the party, nominations will be accepted between December 20, 2023 and January 4, 2024.
Engagement
The meeting with the majority group in Parliament last Tuesday evening formed part of the Vice-President’s engagement with key stakeholders of the party to inform them about his intention to run for the presidency.
Daily Graphic has learnt that Dr Bawumia believes that with the current achievement of the party, when members are united and persevered “we can break the eight-year cycle of the country’s political cycle with me.”
Ahead of the November internal election, the Vice-President has already crafted messages to win the hearts of delegates one of which reads: “Unity and perseverance. Together we can succeed. It is possible.”
At the meeting, Dr Bawumia said he was ready to work with all MPs to win majority seats in Parliament and put the icing on the cake with a victory in the presidential election.
The Vice-President was accompanied by his spokesperson, Dr Gideon Boako, and a former Communications Director of the party, Nana Akomea.