The Municipal Chief Executive for West Mamprusi in the North East Region has dismissed claims by NDC General Secretary Johnson Aseidu Nketiah that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia would never be allowed to lead the New Patriotic Party.

The NDC General Secretary is reported to have cautioned Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia against nursing hopes of ever becoming flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party.

Mr. Aseidu Nketiah who addressed the press last month in Tamale said the Vice president does not stand a chance of ever winning the NPP presidential slot because he is coming from a region with limited influence in the party.

The comments by the NDC secretary has sparked various reactions from party executives and government appointees in Dr. Bawumia’s home region.

One of them is the Municipal Chief Executive of West Mamprussi, Aremeyaw Somo Lucky, who has refuted Aseidu Nketiah’s claims.

The MCE indicated that Dr. Bawumia’s influence in the party is widespread.

He said, one of the many physical impacts of the vice president is the NDC’s diminishing presence and influence in many Zongo communities across the country.

He said, “You have Northern region where NPP has only one, sometime, three seats, now they have more than 13 or 15 seats and you are still not learning from that, and you come to say Bawumia doesn’t have the support base.”

“If you look at the impact of Bawumia in Ghana’s political history you can’t underrate it. Look at the Zongos; the Zongos that used to be the stronghold of the NDC, they are no more there. They are diminishing. Has the NDC gone to win Yendi or Bimbila? The mathematics does not add up”, the Walewale MCE further argued.

He said the vice president, for now, is working tirelessly to ensure a second victory for his boss and won’t be distracted by the NDC.

“What Bawumia is concentrating now is that he want to win the election for His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo, to fulfil the trust that Akuffo Addo had in him and nominated him four times successfully” the MCE added.

Mr. Aremeyaw Somo Lucky also defended the achievements of the vice president, saying, Dr. Bawumia has every right to lead the party.

“Of course, he is a citizen, he is an NPP member, he has every right to lead the party and when he takes that decision, people in NPP and people in Ghana, would come out and support him. It is his right, he has the right to contest but he has not come out to tell anybody he’s going to contest”, the MCE noted.