Call me 'Mama 2' not 'Mama 1' - Ursula Owusu tells delegates as she endorses Bawumia

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West

In line with her support for Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in the New Patriotic Party’s presidential primaries, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West has directed her constituents to call her ‘Mama 2’ instead of the usual ‘Mama 1’ refrain.

The sudden change in appellation name was witnessed at the voting center in her constituency when Ursula Owusu-Ekuful arrived to cast her vote in the presidential primaries on Saturday, November 4, 2023.

At the sight of her, some delegates who had queued to cast their votes started shouting, ‘Mama 1’. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful acknowledged the fans but urged them to call her ‘Mama 2’.

The significance of the name change is that Ursula Owusu-Ekuful belongs to the camp of Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who is number two on the ballot paper.

While Kennedy Agyapong, Bawumia’s main rival in number one, the vice president picked the number 2 spot during balloting.

About the primaries

There are four contenders in this flagbearer race. Among them, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is considered a frontrunner while Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, is expected to be a strong competitor, particularly after his surprising second-place finish in the party's Super Delegates Conference, which took place in August.

The rest are former Food and Agric Minister, Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie, and former Member of Parliament, Francis Addai-Nimoh.

Bawumia secured a commanding victory in the Super Delegates Conference, receiving 629 votes, which represented 68.15 percent of the total votes cast. Kennedy Agyapong secured the second position, while former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, came in third.

However, Alan Kyerematen, dissatisfied with the outcome and expressing concerns about what he perceived as unfair treatment by the NPP leadership, made the decision to resign from the party. He went on to establish the "Movement for Change" with the intention of contesting the 2024 general elections as an independent candidate.

Boakye Agyarko and Francis Addai-Nimoh emerged as the fifth aspirant. However, Boakye Agyarko withdrew from the scheduled September 2 run-off, adding an element of suspense to the race.