Focus on Delegates to Avoid Defeat – Prof. Gyampo Tells Mahama

A Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has cautioned Former President Mahama to focus on delegates in his campaign to lead the National Democratic Congress in 2020.

According to him, the former President could suffer another humiliating political defeat if he limits his campaign to broader national and international issues instead of appealing directly to the party’s delegates.

Speaking on Adom, he said “The most important thing in my view is to be able to appeal to the delegates who would decide on who to lead the party as flagbearer. If they have not really spoken to the delegates and they focus on the broader citizenry they would end up feeling disappointed after the election.”

His comment was in reaction to what has become a norm of politicians campaigning in schools.

The Deputy National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joshua Akamba was recently invited by the Police for inciting some students of Tempane Senior High School in the Upper East region against government’s free SHS policy.

This ‘provoked’ President Mahama to dare the Akufo-Addo government arrest him too if he campaigned in schools.

However, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, who is apparently unhappy with the comment, threatened to stop Mahama from campaigning in the region.

He said the region is an ‘NPP state’ and vowed to prevent the NDC aspirant from setting foot in the region if his intention was to pollute the minds of students in the region.

“I dare John Mahama to try the Ashanti Region with his school politics, we will stop him,” he said.

Prof. Condemns Threat

Touching on this, Professor Gyampo condemned the threats issued by Wontumi, and described the comment as something that can potentially undermine the quest for national cohesion.

“The leaders in the NPP must call Wontumi to order. He has no right to determine who can campaign in the region,” he stressed.

By: Emmanuel Yeboah Britwum