Loyalists of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia (DMB) have clinched massive victories in the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) regional executive elections across the country.
One of the vociferous DMB loyalists, Bernard Antwi Boasiako also known as Chairman Wontumi or ‘Benghazi’ who coined the phrase, “it is a movement, stronger than apartheid”, retained his position in the Ashanti Region.
He polled 464 votes against his closest contender, Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah (COKA), who got 306 having served as constituency chairman for Afigya Kwabre South for 20 years.
Both Chairman and COKA are said to be Bawumia enthusiasts, gathering a total of 750 votes whilst Alan Kyerematen stalwarts namely Asare Bediako, Kwabena Aduomi and Kofi Bawuah polled a paltry 32 votes.
Other Bawumia proponents Patrick Acheampong and Victoria Owusu Achaw won the 1st and 2nd Vice Chairmen respectively.
Again, Adom Appiah Kwame and Allen Gyimah won the Secretary and Assistant Secretary positions respectively whilst Hajia Zainab Sallow won the treasurer post with Nana Ama Ampomah winning the women’s organiser post and Francis Adomako as the organiser.
The rest are Raphael Sarfo Patrick who won the Youth Organiser position whilst Alhaji Salim Bamba clinched Nasara Coordinator, making it 10 out of 10 for Team Bawumia in the NPP stronghold of Ashanti Region.
Political analysts say the overwhelming victory by Team Bawumia is an emphatic statement of the strength of DMB in the region, which places the vice President in a comfortable position to succeed his boss President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Wontumi’s pledge
In his victory speech Saturday night, Chairman Wontumi reiterated that his re-election to serve for third-term, was an indication that the NPP will be “Breaking the 8” in the 2024 general election.
According to him, his re-election was a strong message that the NPP’s campaign of “Breaking the 8, has started from the Baba Yara Stadium.
“They cannot stop us, NDC you cannot stop us, you can ‘provocate’, but winning the 2024 elections, it is a movement…, it is stronger than apartheid”, Chairman Wontumi maintained.
He expressed his appreciation to his challengers and said the contest was an opportunity for him to learn from his mistakes and change for the better going into election 2024.
Chairman Wontumi called for unity among all NPP members going into Election 2024.
Regions of the North
A strong signal of Vice President Bawumia succeeding President Akufo-Addo was again visible as his adherents wept the regional executive positions in all the five regions of the North.
This was after loyalists of DMB occupied positions from the polling stations, electoral areas and the, constituencies.
Bigwigs of the NPP in the North East, Northern and Savannah Regions who are known crusaders of Dr Bawumia maintained their positions as executives of the party and added more numbers in some instances in the regions.
Bawumia advocates like Chairman Mohammed Adam Baantima Samba, Chairman Fuseini Nurudeen and Iddrisu Sulemana all won convincingly to retain their positions as Regional Chairmen in the Northern, North East and Savannah regions.
Bawumia, Alan contest
Undoubtedly, the obvious presidential contest between Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen and Vice Bawumia as leading contenders in the presidential race once again played out in the regional elections just as the grassroots and constituency polls.
However, some members of ‘Team Alan’ who contested the elections could not impress delegates to vote for them as executives.
Particularly in the northern region, one of the Alan Boys, Kaleem M. Ibrahim, who contested for the Assistant Secretary position, lost heavily, having managed only 52 votes against 258 votes polled by Aniwaba Kwaku Bediako Jeremiah.
Lawyer Suley Sambian outweighed his opponents to retain his position as North East Region Secretary and Dr Hudu Zakaria moved as Tolon Constituency Secretary to win as the Northern Region Secretary with Mohammed Issah, the former Savannah Region Communications Director rising to win the Regional Secretary position.
Greater Accra
In the Greater Accra Region, the incumbent Regional chairman of the Party, Divine Otoo Agorhom, beat his closest competitor in the keenly contested election with six votes; amassing 332 votes out of the total votes cast whilst his contender, Alfred Boye had 326.
This is the second time Agorhom has won the seat. In the last election, he won the seat against the same opponent by just 7 votes.
