The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is a political tradition embedded in truth and loyalty to the United Party (UP) lineage. The leadership, especially presidential candidates of the NPP had since 1992, all shown one way or the other, their established identities with the five main splinter groups that came together to form the UP.
The UP is an amalgamation of the Northern People’s Party (NPP 1) of Abayifa Karbo and S.D. Dombo; the Ghana National Congress of J.B. Danquah; Baffour Yaw Akoto’s National Liberation Movement (NLM); Kojo Ayerke’s Trans Volta Togoland and Adamafio’s Ga Shifo Mokpee.
Professor Albert Adu Boahen, the NPP presidential candidate in the 1992 elections was easily identified with the J.B. Danquah, William Ofori-Atta, Edward Akufo Addo bloc; J. A. Kufuor from the Baffour Akoto, Busia axis with the current President, Nana Akufo Addo, also tracing his UP orientation from the Danquah, William Ofori Atta, Edward Akufo Addo gate.
There is the S.D. Dombo and Abayifa Karbo axis that is yet to provide a presidential candidate for the NPP. And that is where many within the party are struggling for a quick-fix to suit Vice President, Mahmudu Bawumia’s claim to the UP tradition.
One thing is however clear. The Northern origin of the Vice President does not necessarily help with Dr. Bawumia’s claim to the UP, a legitimate one. The Northern origin of the UP is discovered from Upper West—precisely from the Dagaary enclave, while the Vice President is from Mamprusi in the present day, North East Region.
Same was tried in the case of Alhaji Aliu Mahama, when he contested the 2008 presidential nomination of the NPP to lay claim to the Dombo-Abayifa Karbo bloc. It however backfired massively because there was simply no connection between Dagaary Dombo, Karbos and the Dagomba Aliu.
The then Vice President may have had a very solid credentials as NPP member, but what went against him was his historical lineage. Many were quick to remind him of his “nakedness” within the UP tradition. In effect, he had no recognized history with the UP lineage, although many acknowledged his contribution to the formation of the NPP in 1992.
It’s the same trickery that is being adopted by supporters and proponents of the Dr. Bawumia presidential candidature. But the facts do not in any way ascribe to Dr. Bawumia’s claim to the Karbo-Dombo tradition within the UP and for that matter, the NPP.
The best bet for the Vice President will be to count his own achievements in the NPP and the administration that he serves as the Vice President, rather than go borrowing a tradition that is totally a contradiction to his family political history.
It would be prudent for managers of the Vice President to consider the role the Vice President played during the 2013 presidential petition, his record in digitizing the Ghanaian economy and his record in the management of the country’s economy and others, to justify his claim to the NPP presidential nomination.
However, if he tries to build his presidential stock from a historical standpoint, he is likely to be reminded of how and where he should trace his political lineage. Of course, he would be reminded as an adherent of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
Dr. Bawumia’s father, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia was an MP in the CPP administration of the first Republic. He was also a Minister of State in same administration. Alhaji Bawumia also served in the military Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) administration of Jerry John Rawlings.
Alhaji Bawumia became the chairman of the Council of State in the civilian National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration headed by Jerry John Rawlings who had then jettisoned his military garb for civilian clothing. From the foregoing, it’s obvious Dr. Bawumia’s attraction to the cause of the UP tradition is one decision that he may have considered all by himself and not necessarily, a family or a traditional lineage.
Content created and supplied by: RKeelson (via Opera
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