Vice President and flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2024 general election, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has become the Achilles heel of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), gripping the main opposition party into state fear and panic.
What was meant to be a national campaign launch of the NDC in Tamale in the Northern region, turned out to be an outdooring of Dr. Bawumia as speaker after speaker painfully mentioned the name of the NPP flagbearer in a desperate attempt to discredit him.
Dr. Bawumia’s name was mentioned more than 80 times while the flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama was mentioned less than 10 times throughout the event by all the speakers except Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings who turned out to be the only strategic politician at the event.
Vice President Bawumia has given NDC sleepless nights with his mercurial rise and phenomenal performance in Northern Ghana.
He has been a torn in the flesh of the NDC and its flagbearer Mr. Mahama since he was chosen as running mate of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2008.
Incontrovertibly, Dr. Bawumia has helped NPP to improve its electoral fortunes in the last four general elections in the five regions of the North and with him as the flagbearer of the governing party for the 2024 polls, the NDC sees him as the biggest threat in their onetime fortress.
The NPP flagbearer has been receiving massive support and blessings of traditional rulers as well as ordinary Ghanaians from all parts of the North in his bid to be elected as President.
It is therefore no wonder that NDC apparently moved their campaign launch originally scheduled to take place in the Central Region, to the Northern Regional capital, Tamale.
The move was ostensibly intended to downplay the soaring support for Dr. Bawumia in the northern sector of the country.
However, THE CUSTODIAN gathered that there was no enthusiasm to embrace the NDC flagbearer during the campaign launch in the Northern Regional capital as the party struggled to pull supporters from all the regions in the North and other parts of the country, to the Tamale Jubilee park.
Bawumia’s mission
Dr. Bawumia is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to engage the people of Ghana to vote for him to win the 7th December, 2024 presidential election.
After a mammoth unveiling of his Running Mate, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh in Kumasi on Tuesday, July 9, the NPP flagbearer quickly moved to the North to continue his campaign.
Dr. Bawumia’s campaign has so far been consultative, energetic and grassroots-based as he engages with traditional rulers, community members through his street-to-street, market and house-to-house campaigns.
It is unlikely that he will depart from this routine, considering the enormous impact he made in the first phase of his campaign.
‘I’m Expecting Your Presidency In 2025’
Meanwhile, the Paramount Chief of the Builsa Traditional Area has described Dr Bawumia’s historic election victory as an affirmation of his character and traits as a human being and a leader.
According to Sandem-Nab Azagsuk Azantilow II, Dr Bawumia’s victory, despite the many challenges including competing against nine others is indicative of his manifest destiny.
He said he looked forward to engaging Dr. Bawumia at the level of President of the Republic after December 2024.
Nab Azantilow made these remarks on Friday when he received the NPP flagbearer and his campaign team at his palace in Sandema, Builsa North Constituency in the Upper East Region.
Dr Bawumia, who had earlier visited the Yagaba-Kubori and Builsa South Constituencies as part of his constituency-focused nationwide campaign, was in Sandema to formally introduce himself as Presidential Candidate and also introduce the party’s candidate for Builsa North, Thomas Alonsi, to the Builsa Overlord.
“Your Excellency, permit me to avail myself of this occasion to convey to your good self, my felicitations on your nomination as leader and Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party. Following your resounding victory at the primaries of the party last year, your historic nomination is an affirmation of your sterling qualities as a politician and leader, and a human being.
“As you take your campaign across the country, I wish you well. I also pray for Allah’s blessings for you, personally, your family and members of your campaign team.
“I look forward to meeting you in 2025 as President of the Republic, In Shaa Allah,” Nab Azantilowh added.
He singled out the government’s flagship programme, the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) as the “most far-reaching social intervention of our time.”
He also lauded the many achievements of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government, noting that the policy had led to an increase in secondary school enrolment.
“Your Excellency, I am mindful of the numerous achievements by your government, notably in the areas of health, digital technology, infrastructure among others.
“Notwithstanding its few challenges, the Free SHS programme remains uncontestably the most far-reaching social intervention of our time, which has also benefitted my traditional area” he stated.
