The former head of the Political Science Department at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (KNUST), Dr Richard Amoako Baah, has expressed objections to Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s bid for the presidency.
Dr Baah argued that Dr Bawumia’s rise to the position of vice president violated the constitution of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as he did not meet the party’s requirement of being a long-standing member before assuming the role.
According to him, the NPP’s internal regulations mandate that a member must actively serve the party for a minimum of five years before being eligible to contest any leadership position. He asserts that Dr Bawumia did not adhere to these guidelines.
In an interview, Dr Baah emphasized that he finds it unacceptable for Dr Bawumia to have reached the second-highest position within the party without complying with the five-year waiting period specified by the NPP’s constitution.
He questioned why someone who had not dedicated the required time to the party was being favoured for such a significant role, especially when there were other party members who had committed years to the party’s cause.
As the NPP’s November presidential primary approaches, ten candidates, including Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, are actively seeking the support of party delegates. The upcoming super delegates congress on August 26 will see Dr. Bawumia competing against former trade minister Alan Kyerematen and eight other candidates.
The additional contenders in the race include Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General Joe Ghartey, businessman and energy expert Kwadwo Poku, former Minister of Energy Boakye Agyarko, former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former MP for Mampong Francis Addai-Nimoh, former Minister of State Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, and former Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto.