NPP does not impose candidates on its members so Bawumia is not the chosen one

Charles Bissue, the former Western Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has refuted claims that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is being groomed for the presidency.

Despite the perception that is being circulated, Mr Bissue claimed that the NPP does not practice imposition of persons.

Speaking on TV3 on Thursday, July 14, 2022, Mr Bissue when asked if the Presidency was being prepared for Dr Bawumia, explained that a similar notion surfaced in 2008 that Mr Alan Kyerematen was being set up to succeed then-President John Agyekum Kuffuor.

However, he claimed that eventually, the party based on consensus chose Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to be their candidate for the upcoming elections.

Mr Bissue believed that “Because Dr Bawmuai is coming from the Presidency, as the Vice President to contest, obviously, they will say that. People are saying the same thing about John Boadu because he is the incumbent. So that is how it is looking but I do not think that it is being cooked for him.

“The voting population, they are discerning, in 2008 people said it was being cooked for Alan Krerematen but the party decided and gave it to Nana Akufo-Addo, so you cannot always impose on the NPP delegates. I believe that these executives that we have actually selected have the same minds set because our generation shouldn’t bequeath monocracy or people imposing on us because our forgathers never did that.”

Commenting on the decision to withdraw from the General Secretary slot ahead of Saturday, July 16, 2022 national elections, Charles Bissue said that before making the decision to withdraw from the race, he discussed it with his family and supporters.

He believes that there are other ways besides serving as the General Secretary that he can help the party.

He remarked, “I went through the process of nomination, vetting. I made the decision with my supporters, family and promoters based on the exigencies of the time. I realized that it was six of us going for the position and in politics sometimes you have to be strategic.

According to Mr Bissue, “Going through the vetting process means that we are all qualified and there is going to be just one General Secretary. So I thought through it and I felt, if you want to work for the party it doesn’t have to be a General Secretary position that you need to do that. Hitherto, I have been working for the party through communications and all that.”