2024 NPP Flagbearership Race : Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng Or Dr. Mahamood Bawumia?

 

Undoubtedly the political space in Ghana can be very interesting. Not too long we heard the Supreme Court ruling in favour of NPP as winners of the 2020 elections. This as expected was greeted by stiff rejection by some members of NDC and in particular Ex-President John Dramani Mahama. He doesn't believe the Supreme Court ruling was fair especially to him, the disregard of some due processes that had to be observed by the judges. In particular was the refusal for the cross examination of Jean Adukwei Mensah, the EC Chair and the overruling of some evidences by the Judges. That said the ruling by the Supreme Court stands and as Ghana would have it, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo will remain President of Ghana for the next four years up to 2024.

One interesting issue that is gaining notoriety is the flagbearership race in the New Patriotic Party for 2024 elections. As it stands now, there has not been so much speculations about NDC concerning their flagbearership because for some of us we think Mahama will be the flagbearer in 2024. 

I mean if NAADA got three (3) slots for the presidential race, then why not Mahama? Come what may, Mahama will be the flagbearer for NDC for the third time in 2024. I don't see any prominent person that can depose Mahama as the flagbearer of NDC in 2024. Dr. Spio Gabrah, Professor Joshua Alarbi, Mr. Alban Bagbin and the rest are all good candidates and they have carved very enviable records for themselves but when we talk about political impact, I will give it to Mr. John Dramani Mahama. One lesson I have learnt about politics is that it is about numbers and popularity and not certificates.

Mr. Koku Anyidoho and the Professor Mills wing of the NDC party have also declared a staunch opposition against the Mahama wing of the NDC party but it's either Mr. Koku Anyidoho himself will be standing as a flagbearer for NDC in 2024 or may be he has someone better in mind to depose Mr. Mahama.

The name of young Mr. Sammy Gyamfi has also come up to be a flagbearer for NDC in 2024 but I doubt if credence could be given to that now. He is a young bright chap with a promising future in Ghanaian politics but I don't think he match the depth of experience that Mahama brings on board and the experience that Dr. Bawumia or Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng from the NPP will bring on board. Besides he is the current communication director of NDC so I don't think he will want to pitch tent against someone he was campaigning for.

Now coming back to the Alan-Bawumua factor. My view is this, Dr. Bawumia has demonstrated competence in his post not to say Mahama incompetence slogan is warranted in any way. You don't compare mangoes to oranges, I can't compare Dr. Bawumia to Mr. Mahama. That is the mistake most people make. One was a President and the other is a Vice President. A good Vice President today doesn't necessarily mean a good President tomorrow. It's an entirely different ball game altogether. 

However I can compare the achievements of Dr. Bawumia as a Vice President to the achievements of Mr. Mahama as a Vice President and in my opinion I think Dr. Bawumia's performance as a Vice President far outweighs that of Mr. Mahama. I am saying this because of the economic reforms that Dr. Bawumia who leads the Economic Management team has introduced to Ghana over the years and it's impact in the economy. 

But this however is expected because Dr. Bawumia is an Economist and Mr. Mahama is a Communication expert so they differ in their fields. However I vouch Mr. Mahama for infrastructural development as President in Ghana. When it comes to infrastructure, Mr. Mahama is the best apart from Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. These are my own candid opinions and I am entitled to them. 

For Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng we heard of him during Kuffour's time that he was one of the big men to man the famous World Trade Center in America and no wonder under both Kuffour and Nana Addo's era, he is made to man the Ministry of Trade and Industry. I also think he is doing his best as a trade minister. Recently I read somewhere that he Mr. Kyeremanteng is going to make Kumasi the next Industrial city in Ghana and I was wondering about the other regions?

Is he saying this because he is an Asante man or what? Well, let's wait and see because in politics, they can promise you heaven in hell. We are yet to see the full fusion of the one district one factory and one village one dam project let alone the promise of an industrial city. We wish Mr. Kyeremanteng the best in this agenda because after all Kumasi is part of Ghana but he should not forget the other regions as well.

That said, personally I have not keenly followed his achievements in the Ministry of Trade and Industry but I think if there were some significant achievements we would have heard of so many by now. Dr. Bawumia clearly stands tall when it comes to Economic achievements in Ghana. The banking sector reforms, digitization of the economy, NABCO etc are just a few achievements that we can directly credit to Dr. Bawumia. I also know he was instrumental in the Free SHS we enjoy now in Ghana. 

When it comes to popularity although Dr. Bawumia has gained a chunk of it because of his good works in Ghana, I think the mark goes for Alan Kyeremanteng within the NPP party. Alan Kyeremanteng scored second in his race against Akufo-Addo in the primaries in 2014 and 2016 so if Nana Addo is not there who do you think NPP delegates will vote for? They will by all means vote for Alan Kyeremanteng to be their flagbearer in 2024 not because he has done so well in his ministry better than Dr. Bawumia's economic achievements but because that has been the trend in NPP.

In Kuffuor's time, two times did Nana Addo become second to him and when Kuffour left office, they voted for Nana Addo to become the flagbearer. The same thing will happen in 2024. Although NPP are not against Dr. Bawumia, they will not leave Alan Kyeremanteng and go and vote for Dr. Bawumia to be their flagbearer. Bear in mind those who determine the flagbearership are delegates and not every member of NPP. 

If all members of NPP will be allowed to choose their flagbearer, they will vote for Dr. Bawumia to lead them but if it is a delegate affair then forget it, there is no way the same delegates that voted Alan Kyeremanteng on two occasions to become second to even Nana Addo turn their back on him to vote for Dr. Bawumia, a newcomer to the presidential flagbearership race. When it comes to being a flagbearer of a party, your performance doesn't count much but the choice of the delegates.

Again during Kuffour's administration, his vice Mr. Aliu Mahama became much loved by Ghanaians and we thought that in the absence of Kuffour he was the next in line to be the flagbearer of NPP but no were all prove wrong when he was beaten by Akufo-Addo who was a foreign minister under the same Ex-President Kuffour. The delegates of NPP are very decisive and they don't easily switch post.  

I have personally witnessed groups calling for Dr. Bawumia to be made flagbearer of NPP government but I am sorry to disappoint them that, that may never happen. On the ticket of NPP I doubt if Dr. Bawumia will ever be made a flagbearer. My recommendation is this and I don't know if the Constitution allows a vice president of two terms can serve under another flagbearer of same political party under different administration? Otherwise I would advice Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng to make Dr. Bawumia his running mate if he is able to secure the nod as flagbearer of NPP.

The name Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng will not easily be overridden by NPP until he becomes President one day in Ghana. If NDC wins 2024 elections which is highly possible, they will go for two terms until 2032, studying the 8 years political terrain of Presidential administration's in Ghana. This means that Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng will still be presented in 2032 until he wins power as President of Ghana if he is still alive. 

I don't personally think Ghanaians will allow NPP to sustain power beyond 2024 which means the name Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng will be looming in our faces for a very long time till May be 2032 and he will also be in power for another 8 years till 2040. This will seriously marginalise the chances of Dr. Bawumia ever becoming a President in Ghana. So far no political party has been given 12 years rulership in Ghana and if NPP should win in 2024 then it will be the first in it's kind in Ghana.

It is on this basis I predict that Dr. Bawumia may after 2024 if not given a vice presidential role again (if the Constitution allows it) might be out of our political scene for good. May be he might take an International appointment or something but I don't if Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng chooses his own vice from 2032 onwards, Dr. Bawumia will accept a post from him lesser than a vice president. A former Member of Parliament will hardly stand for the post of an Assembly man, proverbially speaking.

I wanted to look also at the Northern and Ashanti factor in determining whether Alan or Bawumia will be the flagbearer but that analysis wouldn't hold water as all fingers point in the direction of Alan Kyeremanteng to become the flagbearer of NPP in 2024.

With the above analysis I can tell you for sure that Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng will be the flagbearer for NPP in 2024 after Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo. As to whether he will become president of Ghana or not in the general election against Mahama is also another issue I will be looking at later.

#Quaysonthewriter