Former Deputy Minister of Information, Felix Owusu Kwakye, has disclosed that all flagbearer aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), are in a race to nowhere.
According to him, these aspirants, and whoever is chosen among them will come nowhere to winning the 2024 presidential elections. He revealed that almost all of them have been part and parcel of the “disastrous performance” the party has put out in the last seven years.
Mr Kwakye indicated that they are also a part of the devastating consequence that the “disastrous performance has had on the people of Ghana, the complete decimation, destruction of the Ghanaian economy and the worsening of the livelihoods of the people of Ghana” which is not something that can be forgiven.
“So, all the ten people who have showed up are simply in a race to nowhere because the kind of misrule and terrible governance that has been offered by the NPP in the last eight years do not qualify them for an extension of their mandate… But one can understand that they need to have somebody to spearhead their campaign in 2024, so, they will elect a candidate.”
Felix Owusu Kwakye
Owing to this, Mr Kwakye noted that it doesn’t matter what these aspirants do to curry the favour of Ghanaians, as their time is up and they will “leave power in 2024 because the people of Ghana will vote them out”.
He explained that the record of the Ghanaian voter shows that they do not tolerate “maladministration and incompetence”.
“They do not forgive the infliction of economic hardships and especially at this time when it is extraordinary, there’s no way they are going to survive it.”
Felix Owusu Kwakye
Campaign messaging of NPP flagbearer aspirants
Commenting on the campaigns by the various aspirants of the NPP, Mr Kwakye stated that in terms of rhetoric, exchanges and verbal justice, the contest happens to be one of the cleanest compared to the 2007 contest where President Akufo-Addo himself was at the “forefront of accusations” against Alan Kyerematen.
He recounted that in an interview granted, now President Akufo-Addo pointedly accused ex-President Kufuor for supporting Alan Kyerematen.
“I recall how Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang, who also contested in that primary, accused Alan Kyerematen of being given access to state facilities… So, in terms of rhetoric, this has been muted [and] the concerns have been as it were, subdued…”
Felix Owusu Kwakye
Furthermore, Mr Kwakye expressed his disappointment as he has not been enthused about their campaign. With this, he explained that there’s no way the NPP is going to survive the 2024 elections, as the only things they bank on are the misuse of power and national resources to finance their campaign, and perhaps ethno-tribal considerations – because of where some of their large support comes from.
“But even a visceral assessment of the political landscape of Ghana today, and the feelings and sentiments of the voter out there, shows clearly that those two will not save the NPP in the 2024 elections.”
Felix Owusu Kwakye
Commenting on the individual candidates and the message that they have put out there, the former deputy information minister stated that it is quite obvious that even within the NPP, they acknowledge the fact that they have not done well.
This, he explained, is because apart from perhaps Dr Bawumia himself, all the others have spoken in a manner that suggest that they acknowledge that they have not done well.
“I heard Kwabena Agyepong when he launched his campaign, he gave a rousing speech. Under normal circumstances, that would have put him ahead if people were thinking rationally, and I say this advisedly, within the NPP. I’ve heard Boakye Agyarko, Dr Apraku – who has lamented the fact that he has been side-lined completely and that he believes that he is the stalwart of the party and he has some contributions to make but that contribution was disregarded…”
Felix Owusu Kwakye
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