The Member of Parliament for Asante Mampong Kweku Ampratwum-Sarpong has hit out at opponents of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for playing tribal and religious cards against the Vice President in the NPP flagbearership contest.

The past week has seen a sustained tribal and religious campaign against Dr Bawumia by camps of two contestants, Kennedy Agyepong and Alan Kyerematen.

First, Kennedy Agyapong himself, who has been campaigning for the flagbearership, told NPP delegates in the Western Region not to vote for a northerner as flagbearer because many northerners have been offered key positions in the government, adding that northerners are not the only people who vote in the party.

Then a few days ago, MP for Subin, Collins Osei Nyarki, a key ally of Alan Kyerematen, said the NPP does not need a Muslim and a Northerner as flagbearer because the party gets its votes from Akan and Christian-dominated areas.

Many have slammed Kennedy Agyepong and the Subin MP for what has been described as divisive comments, and the latest to add his voice is the MP for Asante Mampong, who is also the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.

"I am surprised by what my good friend Eugene has been saying. I know him very well from our days in London and I am really surprised," said the Mampong MP in an interview with Okay FM.

"This Christian and Muslim dichotomy that Eugene is introducing is unfortunate. He should know that these things are not a concern for us here in Ghana."

"Eugene should go back and look at other African countries which are predominantly Christians and Muslims are the leaders. You go to other countries, predominantly Muslims, and Christians are the leaders. Go to Senegal it is there. Senegal is predominantly Muslim but the leader is a Christian. Go to Tanzania, predominantly Christians, but the leader is a Muslim."

"We don't want this confusion and division in Ghana. We are not fundamentalists in Ghana. We are not fundamentalists Christians or fundamentalists Muslims."

COMPETENCE NOT TRIBAL OR RELIGION

The Deputy Minister said Ghanaians are looking for a leader who is capable of meeting their aspirations, and Dr Bawumia's growing popularity, both within the NPP and outside, is because he has proven himself, not because of his tribal and religious affiliations.

"It is not about whether Dr Bawumia is a Muslim or a Northerner. The most important thing is to look at his competence and capabilities. Can he deliver? Has he demonstrated that he is capable of delivering and providing the kind of leadership Ghana needs?"

"The man has demonstrated. He has proven it! Everything he does is a clear demonstration of his capabilities and his abilities to provide the kind of leadership in taking Ghana forward post-Akufo-Addo. And it is going to happen in real-time, not by virtue of the fact that he is a northerner or by virtue of religion."

"Ghanaians are not looking for tribal leadership. They are looking for someone who is competent and who is capable of delivering for us, and the man has shown that he is competent, he is visionary and he is capable."