Charles Bissue, the former Western Region Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has refuted claims that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is being groomed for the presidency.
Despite the notion that it is being done, he claimed that the NPP does not practise imposition of individuals.
Speaking on the New Day show with Johnnie Hughes on TV3 on Thursday, July 14, when asked if the Presidency was being prepared for Dr. Bawumia, he indicated that a similar idea existed in 2008 that Mr. Alan Kyerematen was being set up to succeed then-President John Agyekum Kuffuor.
However, he said that finally the party chose Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to be their candidate for the upcoming elections. That is the general impression, but has someone arrived clandestinely to declare that this is what we intend to do? No," responded Mr. Bissue.
They would undoubtedly claim so since Dr. Bawmuai is running for vice president and is coming from the presidency, he continued. John Boadu is the current incumbent, thus everyone is saying the same thing about him. So that's how it appears, but I don't believe it's being prepared for him.
You cannot always impose on the NPP delegates since the voting public is discriminating. In 2008, it was rumoured to be prepared for Alan Krerematen, but the party opted to give it to Nana Akufo-Addo instead. Because our generation shouldn't be left with monocracy or someone imposing on us because our forefathers never did that, I think that these CEOs that we have chosen have the same mindset.
Charles Bissue said that before making the decision to withdraw from the NPP's general secretary contest, he discussed it with his family and supporters.
He believes that there are other ways than serving as the General Secretary that he can help the party.
He stated, "I went through the nomination and screening procedure. In light of the circumstances at the time, I made the choice in consultation with my friends, family, and promoters. I understood that there were six of us vying for the job, and that politics occasionally requires tact.
Since we all passed the vetting procedure, we are all qualified, and there will only be one General Secretary. I thus concluded that if you want to work for the party, you don't necessarily have to apply for a post as general secretary. I have so far been working for the party through correspondence and other means.
The former NPP Western Region Secretary withdrew from the race to remove John Boadu, who was already in office.
His withdrawal brings the total number of competitors who have pulled out of the race to five.