Bawumia Unmasked? When Did VEEP Join NPP?

It is well renowned. Nothing fictitious or controversial in any way. The Vice President's compromising circumstances when he joined the NPP are known to almost every NPP member. The NPP's constitution states that a presidential candidate must select his or her own running partner, with the party's Council of Elders' consent.

Even if the conditional phrase in that agreement is only theoretical, Bawumia's acceptance as Nana Addo's running partner in 2008 required extensive coordination among party leaders and pushing for Bawumia to be taken into consideration.



Bawumia's candidacy may have been more convincing since Akufo Addo and his team, led by Ken Ofori Atta, provided the strongest case yet to back their choice of Dr. Bawumia. The claimed the former deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana comes with him to the Akufo Addo’s ticket a clear disposition as an “economic wizard”.




His wizardry, according to his supporters, will complement Akufo Addo’s finesse in law to have a perfect duo ticket for the 2008 elections. NPP’s strict membership code was thus breached to enable Bawumia get an instant recognition and membership card of the NPP to enable him run as the running mate of Akufo Addo.










After two unsuccessful attempts in 2008 and 2012, Bawumia had a dream realization of rising from a virtual political obscurity to political prominence in 2016. In a record voting pattern of endorsement, unprecedented in Ghana's political history, Nana Akufo Addo and Alhaji Bawumia trounced NDC’s John Mahama and Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang in excess of one million votes in the 2016 elections.




He again partnered Nana Addo to win the 2020 presidential elections. However, the Vice President seems to be re-writing history on the date he joined the NPP. As the NPP presidential primary heats up, Bawumia’s association with the ruling party has become a topical campaign issue. The legitimacy of that argument is premised on the conservative orientation of the NPP.  










It’s a political doctrine that rewards long service and loyalty to the cause of the NPP and its age-long tradition that takes it roots from the United Party (UP) of the late 1950’s. The first presidential candidate of the NPP, Prof. Albert Adu Boahene was elected to lead the NPP in 1992 because of his long association with the UP tradition; and his obsessed struggle against the totalitarian rule of Jerry John Rawlings and his (P)NDC.




John Agyekum Kufuor also benefitted from the NPP’s conservative disposition to become the President of Ghana from 2001 to the end of 2008. Nana Akufo Addo counted his luck, relying heavily on the same long service award order. Today, some of the party chieftains who are running for the NPP presidential slot are also claiming and leaning on the same that ensured that Akufo Addo became President in 2017.










They include Kofi Konadu Apraku, Boakye Agyarko, Kwabena Agyepong, Dr. Afriyie Akoto and Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen. Reminiscent of the manner he was smuggled into the leadership position of the NPP, the Vice President is again meandering and smuggling his way into the league of long serving members of the NPP. However, in so doing, he is being accused of altering the date he joined the NPP.




He’s been telling delegates of the NPP that he joined the NPP in 2000. If that were the case, why did party chiefs go begging and pleading on his behalf to become Akufo Addo’s running mate in 2008? And the records are there for checks. Does Bawumia think such history which was recorded as recent as 2008, would easily be expunged from the history books of the NPP?










Even long before he decided to run for the NPP presidential nomination, there were occasional pieces of information confirming when Bawumia joined the NPP. It’s too fresh to deny that though. How can Ghanaians trust a potential president who kick-starts his presidential dream on perceived or alleged perjury? His managers should be wary of such that may have tendency of throwing Bawumia’s ambition into jeopardy.