Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has urged calm within the Majority caucus following the announcement that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has chosen Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as the running mate.
He advised his side to learn from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which embraced the choice of running mate by the presidential candidate, although the majority of them were opposed to his choice.
He claimed that over 60 percent of votes by the National Council of the NDC were opposed by Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang as his running mate.
However, nobody came out to vilify the candidate after the choice was approved and announced.
He was responding to comments made by The MP for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, as NAPO is affectionately called, is not his preferred candidate.
Mr. Appiah-Kubi, who is also a member of the NPP’s National Council, said NAPO was not someone who could secure their votes or be submissive to the presidency should the party win the polls.
“I wouldn’t speak to a majority because we have not been consulted as a caucus for us to state our position. But for me Appiah-Kubi, you can solicit my view on that. If it were up to me to choose, I wouldn’t choose him (Napo). He is not my preference,” the Asante Akim North MP said.
But the Majority leader, in response, asked the MPs to respect the party’s choice and support the person no matter their opposition.
He admitted that officially, the name of the person has not been communicated to them, but stressed the need for them to rally behind the party for whoever is selected to partner Dr. Bawumia in the general elections.
“So far, we haven’t heard anything officially from the party. It is true that consultations are ongoing. We’ve heard names. All the names we are hearing are respected party members who have worked so hard for this great party. It will be inappropriate for one person to call out an individual.”
“In this game of politics, if destiny chooses you, it does not matter your age, religion, or age; whether you are humble or whatever, whatever it is, if God has chosen you, so be it.”
“There is a need for the unity of the party to be maintained, so let us all wait and ensure that the unity of the party is maintained. We are aware that when Prof. Opoku-Agyemang was selected, she got only 35% approval from the party’s national council, and we didn’t hear a single soul in the NDC come out to say anything.”
He added that “We should all respect party rules. You cannot go out of your way to describe your colleague in a manner that is unacceptable,” he charged.
“We are in this together. There is no perfect person in this world. Let us be measured in the language we use. “The flagbearer has the confidence of the party and I believe he will use the structures of the party in making his decisions,” he stated.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
