Former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyepong, has stated that, with barely three months to the December 7 general election, the party has made significant inroads into areas previously considered no-go zones for the NPP.
Speaking on Peace FM, as monitored by GhanaWeb, Kwabena Agyepong said the party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who has endeared himself to many people across ethnic and religious lines, has succeeded in promoting both himself and the NPP to electorates in regions typically won by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during elections.
“I am confident that areas that were previously no-go zones, today, we are making headway. I’m not saying we are going to take them over, but at least we are challenging them on their own turf. Places like Bono East, which have historically been difficult for the NPP, we will battle it out with them.
“If Bawumia can secure about 40% of votes in NDC strongholds and add that to what we usually get in our favored regions, he will be in a very good position to win the election. I believe Bawumia will secure 53% of the votes,” Agyepong stated.
The former Communications Director at the Presidency under President J.A. Kufuor added that Bawumia has successfully neutralized the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) propaganda against the NPP.
“Our colleagues in the NDC have, since the 1992 elections, consistently spread the narrative that the NPP, which is Ashanti-dominated, doesn’t respect others. It’s even worse when they go to the Zongos because they remind people of the Aliens Compliance Order, falsely claiming that if the NPP comes to power, they will once again be driven out of Ghana, as happened during Dr. Busia’s era. So, the elderly among them who remember the hardship they went through naturally gravitated toward the NDC. This narrative has persisted, although it has diminished somewhat. It remains embedded and is not easy to overcome.
“That is why former President Mahama said we should wait and see if Bawumia would be elected as the leader of our party. The NDC said Bawumia would be used and discarded, and that the NPP would never allow a northerner to lead the party. Eventually, 61% voted for him, which is the highest any first-time presidential aspirant has ever garnered. Dr. Bawumia is a well-liked figure across the board, and party members speak highly of him. The way he has connected with people has endeared him to many,” Agyepong emphasized.
He added: “Some people abuse the platform they are given, but Bawumia has spent his 16 years as running mate and Vice President very well. He has helped people from both the Zongos and Christian communities. So, that major weapon the NDC once had — we have now disarmed them of a significant portion of their campaign propaganda. Now, we have a ‘Zongo boy’ as our flagbearer.”
KA
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