Alan vs. Bawumia: NPP Should pick a neutral flagbearer for 2024 – Ben Ephson

Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, Benjamin Ephson says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) should not consider choosing either Trade Minister, Alan Kyeremanten or Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia as candidates for the 2024 flagbearer ship.

According to him, the ethnic background of the two candidates will complicate matters for the party in the face of ongoing debates ahead of the next general election.

“I suspect it is early days yet but given the tempo and the way it is going in the end they may have to perhaps find a compromised candidate outside the two because it will be dirty,“ he said on Joy Prime’s Beyond the Headlines.

His comments come on the back of an interview where Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated that another Akan flagbearer may not augur well for the governing party in the next elections.

“I think it is not good for a party which has been accused by some as being overly Akanistic in nature. But not everybody would agree with me and that is the beauty of democracy.”

However, reacting to Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s comment, the pollster insisted that it would be in the best interest for NPP should they avoid both Alan Kyeremanten and Bawumia due to its dicey nature.

Also, Mr Ephson compared the two candidates saying Mr Kyeremanteng has not done himself good in his political career unlike Bawumia who has ingrained himself into politics.

“Alan has not done himself good in his political career. He should have gone to Parliament. Alan was at the peak in 2008 when he was contesting Akufo-Addo. Clearly Bawumia has worked harder within the politics of the late Vice president, Aliu Mahama he was a bit laid back he wasn’t too much involved like Bawumia who has been with Akufo-Addo from 2008, 2012 so he had worked harder and ingrained himself with the politics.”