Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has denied lobbying to become Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s running mate if the current Vice President is elected as Flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2024 election.
In the past few days, there’s been a list of possible running mates for Dr. Bawumia circulating in the media.
The list includes the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Energy, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh and the Majority Leader, Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu.
But speaking on Abusua FM Morning Show in Kumasi, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu who’s also Minister of Parliamentary Affairs stated that though he aspires to get to the highest political office like most politicians, he’s not persuading anyone to make him the running mate.
“Every police officer after recruitment and subsequent passing out from training aspires to become Inspector General of Police (IGP). So, when the opportunity comes, I will accept it but I’m not lobbying Dr. Bawumia for that. That’s not the reason I’m supporting Dr. Bawumia in the contest, but it is because of what I have seen in him’’.
He added:” Yesterday somebody reached out to me that they have heard that Dr. Bawumia is creating division between myself, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO) and Dr. Yaw Adutwum over this running mate and I laughed over it. Because I know nobody can lobby for that position because a lot of factors go into it’’ he explained.
The Suame MP said: ”I noticed this contest between Dr. Bawumia and Alan long ago and I knew it will create unhealthy completion for the party, so I wanted us to build consensus from behind in selecting the Flagbearer and the running mate but unfortunately it didn’t work that’s why we are where we are today’’.
He revealed that he didn’t support the re-appointment of Dr. Bawumia going into 2012 general elections as the running mate of Nana Akufo Addo.
“Because I know he didn’t help the party in terms of the votes we got from the Northern region he comes from, but the then Flagbearer gave me a convincing justification for his re-appointment and as we speak, we all know the role he played from 2012 – 2016 general elections and the current digitalization drive it will shock you the amount of revenue the drive has generated for the country now. This is the person I believe given the opportunity will do wonders with his professional expertise with the support of other members of the party’’ he added.
Hon. Mensah Bonsu explained that although the Christian community is the majority percentage of Ghana’s population, the constitution also recommends considerably religious and ethnic groups balance.
“So, we have Christian Majority and Muslim minority, we can’t always use the Islamic group and the Northerners as running mate. We must balance the system. I’m a Christian but I think Dr. Bawumia must be given the chance’’.