Edward Ennin, a former member of parliament for Obuasi, has alleged that many of the people backing Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s presidential campaign, are engaged in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in Ghana.

According to Mr. Edward Ennin, people who are destroying the nation’s water resources and creating environmental devastation through illegal mining, are also those who are endorsing Bawumia’s campaign.

Therefore, he cautioned New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates against endorsing Bawumia, since doing so would indirectly encourage the damage done by unlawful mining.

Additionally, the former MP for Obuasi lambasted lawmakers and government representatives who have endorsed Dr Bawumia. He therefore revealed that Alan Kyerematen, a former Minister of Trade and Industry, would prevail in the NPP’s Presidential primary.

Ten candidates will compete in the NPP’s Presidential primaries for the chance to represent the party in the impending 2024 elections. The Presidential primaries will take place on November 4, 2023, after the super delegate conference, which is to whittle the field down to five on August 26, 2023.

However, the campaign team of Alan Kyerematen, a candidate for NPP flagbearer, voiced concerns about the inclusion of some people on the party’s register for the next super delegate conference.

Hopeson Adorye, a former NPP candidate for the Kpone Katamanso parliamentary seat, and a staff on Alan Kyerematen’s campaign team, shared concerns about the inclusion of some names in the register. He made specific mention of the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, claiming that the NPP’s regulations forbade her admission.

Mr Adorye drew attention to the fact that the NPPs constitution laid out certain requirements for those who were qualified to vote in special delegate conferences. He emphasized that the Chief of Staff was not a qualified voter under Articles 10(4) and 13(9).

Bawumia’s Campaign Team Counters Deputy Railway Ministers’ Disrespect Claim

However, a member of Dr. Bawumia’s campaign team, Krobea Kwabena Asante, replied to the claims of the Deputy Railways Minister Kwaku Asante-Boateng, that that Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia disrespected him at a public event.

Asante-Boateng claimed he was unable to support Dr. Bawumia’s campaign because he felt humiliated by the Veep, during a visit to an area in the Asante Akim district. Mr. Asante-Boateng emphasized that his choice was influenced by what he considered to be disrespect on the part of Dr. Alhaji Bawumia’s staff. He recalled an event when Hon. Isaac Osei and Nana Akomea asked him to welcome Dr. Alhaji Bawumia’s campaign team in Juaso/Asante Akim South during Dr. Bawumia’s campaign tour in the constituency.

Yet, he claimed to be disappointed that none of Team Bawumia’s participants returned the favor. Despite being told to welcome Dr. Bawumia, Mr. Asante-Boateng claimed that Team Bawumia disregarded him and publicly mocked him, which he found to be insulting and then decided to change his allegiance in response to this treatment.

However, Krobea Kwabena Asante responded by posting a video of Asante Boateng and Dr. Bawumia interacting during the ceremony on Facebook. According to Mr Asante, the video footage disproved the accusation of rudeness and showed that Dr. Bawumia greeted Asante Boateng and shook hands with him.

Krobea Asante was perplexed as to why the Deputy Minister of railways would assert that Dr. Bawumia disrespected him, when it is abundantly obvious from the video that the Vice President, nor his team acted in that manner.