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The Communications Director for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has hinted at a possible punishment for government appointees who are jostling to contest for the flagbearership position of the party.
Yaw Buaben Asamoa has described as “worrying” the high rise of appointees who are busily working cloak-and-dagger to announce their ambition to lead the ‘Elephant’ party in the next election in 2024.
But member of the NPP Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, who is a cousin of the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has openly told ambitious appointees within the government that: “If you are too eager to be president then do what Hillary Clinton did”.
“You cannot exploit the presidency of another, at the risk of party and government, for your speculative adventure”, he wrote on Facebook.
Yaw Buaben Asamoa, had warned in an interview with NEAT FM’s morning show, ‘Ghana Montie’ that those persons are prone to be sanctioned by the party.
“It’s unfortunate, the President has just started his second term and his budget has just been read. I don’t know why others are busily working on their agenda when they have to serve this government.”
“What is their motive? This shows some are not serious to help this government to achieve its aim. The party will not stop anyone from achieving its aim, but the right thing must be done at the right time,” he noted.
The former lawmaker, however, warned persons with presidential ambition to advise their supporters from flooding social media with campaign posters.
“They should warn their supporters to escape any form of punishment from the party,” he told host Mc Jerry Osei Agyemang.
This follows posters of possible candidates who will be joining the NPP presidential race aside Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen and former Railway Minister, Joe Ghartey, who political analysts believe will be the main contenders to take over the baton from President Akufo-Addo.
He described as indecent and uncalled-for, the activities of party members who have started campaigning as potential aspirants for the NPP flagbearer position ahead of the 2024 general elections.
He has advised such interested persons to exercise restraint and focus on helping the NPP achieve its goals for President Akufo-Addo’s second term in office.
This comes on the back of the resurfacing of some fliers and posters of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and, Alan Kyerematen and Minister for Agriculture, Owusu Akoto Afriyie on social media and at vantage points in Accra and other parts of the country.
Some party executives, have already condemned the act and called for a ceasefire.
Later on Citi News, Buaben Asamoa mentioned that “it is important that the candidates exercise some restraint. That self-restraint will demonstrate that they believe in the future of the NPP. They believe that the performance of this government is what will give them victory in 2024. They believe that they are part of a team and must act as members of that team.”
“Right now, what are you fighting for or aspiring to? The President has just won an election and inaugurated and delivered his State of the Nation Address. The President’s budget for the second term has just been read. So what are you fighting to succeed? It’s simply too early”, he added.
In the meantime, the party has hinted that it will soon come out with guidelines to streamline the campaign activities of Members.
“The party will come out with guidelines. We are busily working on that. So there will be guidelines”, Yaw Buaben Asamoa noted.
Earlier, the Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Obiri Boahene, also, criticized persons who have started campaigning.
Campaign activities are yet to be sanctioned by the National Executive Committee and the National Council of the party.
The governing party is expected to hold its presidential primary in 2023.
Asare Otchere-Darko, without mentioning any name, the cousin to President Akufo-Addo addressed a specific ambitious minister in the current government thus:
The world is in crisis. Ghana is part of the world. Therefore, Ghana is in crisis. Which part of this, don’t you get, Mr Cabinet Member!
Governments everywhere have a big multi-task of fighting the virus, fighting economic hardships, fighting for food and jobs, fighting the debt and deficit and, here in Ghana, we are also fighting for transformation.
This is not the time to be planting for delegates and votes.
If your focus, as a member of Akufo-Addo’s government, is to first fight for your own ambition and transformation, then, please, feel free to move over to move on.
Please note: NPP in power must first succeed for NPP to succeed NPP!
Build on this power we have now for your own power trip not to be tripped by your priority tripped wires. Be wise!
In the past few days, there have been reports that Agriculture Minister Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto had met some constituency executives of the governing New Patriotic Party and sold his presidential ambition to them in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital.
The minister is also reported to have complained that the government has neglected the roads in the region.
