Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has denied media claims that he supported Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the forthcoming New Patriotic Party flagbearer election on Sunday, June 19. (NPP).
He said he gets along well with everyone whose names have come up before to the competition and that the only things he wants are for the selection process to be "fair" and "un-engineered."
The former president claims that his innocent comment regarding his friendship with Dr. Bawumia on Sunday during the Father's Day luncheon at Peduase Valley Resort and Hotel was what caused the incident.
According to a news statement sent by the office of former President Kufuor on Wednesday, "there was nothing political about his words or even the occasion."
The news message, which was signed by Senior Aide and Spokesman Dr. Kwabena Osei-Adubofour, lamented the fact that what occurred "has been grossly misrepresented."
In the press release, the events of the event were attempted to be explained.
"Last Sunday, June 19, the Peduase Valley Resort and Hotel hosted a Father's Day party on the hotel grounds, where former president and vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia were both guests of honour. Mr. Kwame Sefa-Kayi, the event's MC, said that when the Vice-President was invited the day before, he was on duty in the North and was unable to attend. He went on to say that when Dr. Bawumia was informed that former President Kufuor would also attend, it is stated that he remarked, "If you're coming, I'll be there too."
The former President expressed in his speech how moving it was for him to hear what the Vice President is said to have stated. President Kufuor made comments on the father-son ties between him and the MC, Kwame Sefa-Kayi, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, who was also present, and the Mamfehene, who was also present because it was a Father's Day event. Additionally, he talked about the strong father-son connection he shared with Dr. Bawumia and explained how the vice president was just one month and one day younger than John Addo Kufuor, his own oldest child. Mr. Kufuor went on to say that he had always been close to the vice president and considered him like a genuine son for this reason.
The announcement emphasised the three-time NPP flagbearer's desire for a "fair" election to choose the party's new leader.
"This should be free from pressure and scheming so that the final picked nominee, coming from the uncompromised freewill of the voting delegates, may easily command the support and respect of all party faithfuls, and in fact, all Ghanaians sympathetic to our cause, towards "breaking the eight"."