Flashback: Bawumia can never lead NPP – Nyaho Tamakloe

A founding member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe two years ago stated categorically that it would be very difficult for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumi to succeed Akufo-Addo in coming years as the flagbearer of the NPP.

To buttress his claim, he said President Akufo-Addo personally told him that some members of the party disliked Bawumia.

In an interview with Politics & Power Magazine in 2018, DR Nyaho Tamakloe said “I know Bawumia very well. He comes to me in this house. At a certain stage, on the 2nd of January, 2009, we met in Nana Addo’s house. Nana Addo told me that ‘Nyaho we have to work hard so that Bawumia comes back because it appears a section of our people don’t want him.’ He was specific but I won’t mention the name. I singlehandedly defended Bawumia on airwaves, the records are there – so I know Bawumia very well. Indeed, when he was selected, myself, himself and the late Aliu Mahama met regularly to make sure that things went well for him.

“But looking at my party and some of the beliefs that we have, that might not even allow Bawumia to come to the forefront to win an election,” he added.

Read the story orginally published in 2018 by Kasapa FM below.

A Founding member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe has said considering the beliefs that has guided the party over the years, it will be extremely difficult for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to succeed his boss, President Akufo Addo when the later exits office.

Many political watchers believe Dr. Bawumia, a scholar, has matured politically in the past decade and has demonstrated enough qualities to be the automatic heir to President Akufo Addo to govern the country if he [Akufo Addo] refuses to seek for re-election.

It is the view of may Political scientist that no one qualifies to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2020 election to retain power more than Dr Bawumia and that giving him the opportunity will help the party.

However speaking to Politics & Power Magazine on a wide range of issues, Dr Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe who’s former Ghana’s Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro when asked whether he thinks Dr. Bawumia will be a fine president? responded:

“I know Bawumia very well. He comes to me in this house. At a certain stage, on the 2nd of January, 2009, we met in Nana Addo’s house. Nana Addo told me that ‘Nyaho we have to work hard so that Bawumia comes back because it appears a section of our people don’t want him.’ He was specific but I won’t mention the name. I singlehandedly defended Bawumia on airwaves, the records are there – so I know Bawumia very well. Indeed, when he was selected, myself, himself and the late Aliu Mahama met regularly to make sure that things went well for him.

“But looking at my party and some of the beliefs that we have, that might not even allow Bawumia to come to the forefront to win an election.”

Asked if its because he thinks Bawumia wouldn’t be a good candidate, he answered:

“No, not at all. He is an intelligent man, well- educated but looking at the way we have set up our own… you made mention of tribe but I don’t want to bring tribe into anything that I say because I’m so detribalized I don’t want to think about it. The arrangements that we have now one way or the other make it impossible for Bawumia to come to the forefront. This is the way I would put it.”

Bawumia posters

In 2017, posters with the image of Dr. Bawumia as a presidential aspirant on the ticket of the NPP emerged, sparking brouhaha among Ghanaians.

The nicely-printed posters popped up on the various social media platforms.

But a release from the office of the Vice President, and signed by the Communications Director, Frank Agyei-Twum, said the purported posters were fake.

“It is clear that the perpetrator(s) of this act intend to cause disaffection for the vice president, but their campaign will fail".

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state unequivocally that the posters are the figment of the imagination of the originator(s), and we call on all Ghanaians to treat the poster with the contempt it deserves,” the statement added.