Politics of Sunday, 6 August 2023

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

NPP Primaries: Alan's camp accuses Bawumia of using government machinery to induce delegates

Spokesperson for  Alan Kyerematen's campaign, Yaw Buaben Asamoa Spokesperson for Alan Kyerematen's campaign, Yaw Buaben Asamoa

Former communications director for the New Patriotic Party(NPP) and current spokesperson of the Alan Kyerematen campaign, Yaw Buaben Asamoa has accused vice president, Dr. Bawumia Mahamudu Bawumia of inducing party delegates with ‘goodies’ ahead of the super delegates congress.

Buaben Asamoa claims that some delegates were given boxes of weedicide and fertilizers but he believes the timing of the sharing of these products by the district assemblies common fund intends to manipulate delegates.

Speaking in an interview with Joynews which GhanaWeb monitored, the spokesperson for the Alan campaign team, charged delegates to ignore inducements and threats from the vice president’s camp.

“The party delegates must resist any attempt. By rejecting some of the inducements and the threats. District assemblies Common Fund was sharing weedicides and fertilisers at this time with delegates. Those who will be taking part in the Super Delegates Congress. Sharing with delegates.

"We arrived immediately after the sharing. So you had delegates with boxes, some of them carrying it home, some of it with them right in the room where we're having the meeting, we saw it,” Buabeng Asamoa alleged.

He also accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of rooting for Dr. Bawumia in the NPP flagbearer race despite his public proclamation of not supporting any of the candidates.

“The establishment is not working that way. The establishment, which includes the president and others, is demonstrating otherwise. I mean, the finance minister chats and says that he is going to spend all the money he can to make sure that somebody wins.

Who is that somebody? That's somebody the establishment candidate. That's it. That somebody is the vice president.

“This is a broad situation. I'm telling you that the president feels compelled to detach himself from this because in public it's obvious. It's obvious that there's an organized process behind one of the aspirants who is the vice president,” he added.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the campaign team of the Vice President, Sammy Awuku described the allegations as baseless because some current government appointees are supporting Alan Kyerematen.

“The Hon. Peter Amewu is a minister of government but he is supporting Alan Kyerematen. The Honourable Abena Osei Asare, the Deputy Minister for Finance is also supporting the Honourable Alan Kyerematen. You've had members of parliament openly supporting the honourable. So when you say that others supporting Dr. Bawumia is wrong then that means you're only picking and choosing.

“We repeat if the principle is wrong then tell me that nobody should support anybody. Let them become quiet men and women in the party and only word the process. We are part of the decision.

“If you can prove an allegation of wrongdoing remind you of the very things that we say to the Ghanaian people. These are the things that our opponents are going to compile even in an internal election. You are telling me that we are using the district assembly common fund to purchase fertilizer? That is very low,” Sammy Awuku said.

BS/KPE

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