Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has said that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s presidential ambition is being supported by majority of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentarians and government officials because he is the delagates' choice.

He refuted assertions that the vice president is only the 'official candidate' of the party and is not supported by the grassroots of the party, 3new.com reports.

According to Ampratwum-Sarpong, who is the member of parliament for Mampong, the party delegates have warned that if Dr Bawumia is not made the presidential candidate for the 2024 elections, they will vote against the MPs and party in the elections.

“When he met our Caucus, the support was massive and it was so obvious. I can say over 100 of us support him and we demonstrated that by giving him an overwhelming acclaim when he met us. It was tumultuous and the upcoming victory will be earth-shaking.

“It is the grassroots that tell us what we should do. We are only following their direction. For example, delegates in my constituency came to me and said ‘Honourable, Bawumia is the one we want so if you don’t go in for Bawumia, we will remove you as a our MP'.

“Yes, that’s what my people told me. I don’t want trouble. If the people I lead say this is the direction they want, I have to meet their aspirations and lead them to where they want to be,” the MP is quoted to have said.

He added that for his constituency, Mampong, the vice president has the support of 95 per cent of the delegates in the presidential primaries which is scheduled for November 2023.

The likes of the former Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen Assin, Central MP Ken Agyapong, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the former Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, ex-Mampong MP Francis Addai-Nimoh, and former Regional Cooperation Minister Dr Kofi Konadu Apreku, are expected to face off in the race for the flagbearership position of the NPP.

Meanwhile, watch the latest episode of People and Places on GhanaWeb TV below:





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