The campaign team of Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has rejected claims that they attempted to get Kennedy Agyepong, a flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to accept to be Bawumia’s running mate for the 2024 polls.
Mr Agyepong, told supporters of the NPP at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi that the Vice president’s campaign team, attempted to bribe him to accept the offer, but he refused.
He failed to mention the amount, the date he was approached and the name of the person from the Bawumia camp, who made the contact with him.
But the Vice President’s campaign team in a swift response said at no point was Mr Agyepong approached “for such a running mate offer, nor have we assigned any member of the team to approach him for the same.”
The campaign team in a statement signed by the Vice President’s spokesperson, Gideon Boako, also denied allegations that, Dr Bawumia is collapsing the NPP through intimidation.
Vice President Bawumia won the NPP’s Super Delegates Conference on August 26, 2023 with a total of 629 votes, representing 68.15percentof the votes, while the Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong, came in second with 132 votes, or 14.30percent, against former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen’s third place 95 votes, or 10.29percent.
Kennedy Agyapong, had alleged that, Dr Bawumia’s campaign team attempted to bribe him to accept an offer to be his running mate, but he refused.
Mr Agyapong also accused Dr Bawumia of engaging in acts that had the potential of collapsing the party.
He made these allegations in Kumasi after a march organized by his supporters.
The flagbearer hopeful of the NPP, stressed that the Vice President and his team were intimidating party members who were not his supporters.
Scores of inhabitants in the Ashanti region thronged the principal streets of Kumasi to march to show their support for the NPP flagbearer hopeful.
Many of the people who joined the march cited the current economic situation in the country as their reason for throwing their support behind the Assin Central legislator.
The persons who are primarily NPP sympathizers, say they believe Kennedy Agyapong, is the only candidate that can help the party retain power in the 2024 general elections.
Mr Agyapong, asked the party’s elections committee to ensure that the upcoming November 4 Presidential primary was organised under fair conditions.
He said if the organisers make any mistake and conduct the elections under any unfair circumstances in order to favour one candidate, he will face off with the party in equal measure.
He served notice that he will not remain calm like the former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, for anybody to cheat him.
“I’m not like Alan who is gentle, let them try…” Ken warned amidst thunderous cheers from his supporters.
Mr Kyerematen recently resigned from the NPP citing intimidation and unfair treatment towards him and his supporters in the NPP’s flagbearership race.
He has now formed what he calls Movement For Change to contest the upcoming 2024 Presidential elections as an independent candidate.
Addressing supporters who took part in the Showdown Walk, Mr Agyapong, said he will operate “an eye for eye” policy during the election and that he will not allow anyone to bully him.
He also claimed that he had been offered huge sums of money to step down in order to allow Vice President Bawumia easy passage.
He said he has rejected all such offers, including a promise to make him a running mate to Dr Bawumia.
Ken Agyapong, said he remains resolute and that he will win the November 4 election.
Bawumia’s statement datedSaturday, September 30, 2023, emphatically stated that the Bawumia Campaign Team, has not approached Hon. Kennedy Agyapong for Running Mate Position.
It said that “the Bawumia campaign team has noticed with grave concern news report by Citinewsroom.com and other media outlets in which the Hon. Kennedy Agyapong is alleged to have indicated that some members of the Bawumia Campaign team attempted to bribe him to step down and be made the running mate to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
“We wish to state in unequivocal terms that the Bawumia Campaign team has not approached Kennedy Agyapong for such a running mate offer, nor have we assigned any member of the team to approach him for the same.
“It is also not true as alleged by Kennedy Agyapong that Dr. Bawumia is collapsing the party through intimidation. The unity of our party has been of great concern to candidate Dr. Bawumia. It is in light of such concern that he refrains from responding to unwarranted attacks by others in the contest and has cautioned his supporters against responding to such provocative attacks.
“His strategy has been to persuade delegates to support his bid. This he does, by laying his vision for the party and country.
“As we have always maintained, the contest for flagbearer in the NPP is an internal one, and all actors, particularly the aspirants must be guided by the core values of the NPP, which include but are not limited to truth, decorum, and respect for one another.