Politics of Thursday, 27 September 2012

Source: Ghanaian Observer

Northern Chiefs Endorses Bawumia, Akufo-Addo

The Chiefs of Suson in the Mion constituency, the Bugyeligu Naa, Naa Shani Hamidu on Saturday fully endorsed Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP and asked his people to troop in their numbers and vote for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP come December.

Naa Shani Hamidu made this endorsement when the NPP Vice-Presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia called on him and his council of elders at his Palace in Suson while on his tour of the Mion constituency.

Speaking to hundreds of his subjects and the delegation led by Dr. Bawumia, the Bugyeligu Naa stated “I know very well that chiefs in our Nation are not supposed to engage in active partisan politics; but every chief is also preoccupied with getting the necessary development for his people and if that is the case, then we would not be wrong to support a group which we believe and know would do exactly this and especially when others have totally neglected us even though we have continued to support them since 1992. I know that the NPP would not forsake us when we support them in December; I know that Dr. Bawumia is not a politician who would ignore us if he gets into the big office and that is why am asking all my people to go out and vote for the NPP when the time comes.

We are voting for the party and the leaders we know would remember us and act on our concerns”, he added.

The endorsement given by the Bugyeligu Naa on Saturday is said to have ruffled many analysts and observers of the political terrain in the North as such a full endorsement and show of support was not expected of the very powerful sub-paramount in Dagbon and as it was earlier perceived that the Bugyeligu Naa belonged to a party other than the NPP.

The endorsement of the Bugyeligu Naa comes in the wake of similar endorsements and shows of support from other traditional rulers in the Northern region on the ongoing tour of the Northern Region by the NPP Vice-Presidential candidate.

While on his tour of the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo constituency for example, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP received a major backing from the overload of Nyakpanduri who described Dr. Bawumia as a unique politician and asked the potential Vice-President not to forget about Nyakpanduri when elected.

In Gushiegu, the overlord of Gushiegu also hailed the NPP as a truly visionary and ambitious party urging it on to continue dreaming big and to ensure that it fulfills its pledges once elected. Endorsing the Free SHS policy of the party, the overlord of Gushiegu recalled a teacher of his primary school who had a popular saying which was “the child who says he cannot climb the mountain, remain at the bottom while the one who says I can get to the top keeps going”. He urged the NPP not to be daunted by the doubters of the Free SHS pledge.