Democratisation in the late 20th century, the success of democratic transitions depends on the ability of political parties to select candidates based on their qualifications and vision for the future, rather than their seniority or length of service. (Samuel P Huntington)

As we head closer and closer towards the 2024 general elections all political parties are choosing a
flagbearer to represent them in the election. This particular election is a crucial one, particularly for the ruling party, given that this is the second term of the government.

As it is common knowledge, no pollical party has been able to go beyond the second term, as such for the ruling party to be able to break the eight, not only should we elect a flagbearer, we must elect one with a cross-appeal beyond the base of the party.

It should be someone that cuts across political lines, religious, tribal and social lines. Someone that appeals to the middle class, to the downtrodden, to the floating voters, to the party’s base and to people from various religious and tribal backgrounds.

The person should also be able to unite, inspire and communicate a clear vision for the future that will resonate with the general populace. In this article, I will seek to provide reasons why one Dr Mahamadu Bawumia (DMB) is the best bet in our quest to break the eight.

Global Appeal

DMB by his very nature has a ‘global’ appeal within the general populace. He is seen as a very decent politician that has engaged in issue-based campaigns to the extent that our opponents were forced to
respond to him based on the issues that are of critical importance to the nation.

This has endeared him to most Ghanaians who are sick and tired of the politics of insults. Going into an election as critical as this one we need someone that is appealing to people beyond our core support base and our best bet is none other than the Vice President Dr Bawumia.

Moreover, he is one politician that has been described by both politicians and Civil Society Organizations
(CSOs) as incorruptible. Hardly do you find a politician that CSOs will vouch for incorruptibility, so it is, therefore, instructive to hear several CSOs vouching for the integrity of the Vice President.

There are many religious leaders who have spoken to his persona and how he values relationships with all manners of persons from diverse backgrounds. A youth icon with the party who excelled both as a youth organizer and as a national organizer has touted the global appeal of DMB and has declared his support
for him.

What is instructive is the fact that Sammi Awuku (AKA Boys Abr3) is a grassroots person who is in touch with not just the youth of the party but the wider youth of the country and he argues that DMB is in tune with the vibe of the youth across the country.

Furthermore, DMB is seen as one that can inspire, unite and clearly articulate a vision for the future that the majority of Ghanaians can buy into. He has shown that he is a great unifier in that he does not discriminate against any group of persons.

He has shown the lead in how Muslims and Christians can live peacefully within the country. He has honoured most Christian invitations to the extent that the NDC started calling him names, but that did not deter him.

His relationship with Father Campbell and Reverend Eastward Anaba is public knowledge and Rev. Anaba is on record to have touted his humility and purposefulness. This is not a political person, someone who has stayed away from politics giving testimony of DMB. It is clearly obvious that DMB appeals to people from all walks of life and many of these people have great testimonies to share about him.

That is the kind of candidate we need going into 2024, the one that can energize our core base and also has mass appeal to the general populace beyond our core base of supporters.

Most Feared by the National Democratic Congress (NDC)

The NDC has been very vociferous in attacking DMB and this is mainly because he is the most feared presidential aspirant by the NDC. Has been their tormentor-in-chief in the last decade. He has taken the fight to the NDC both in opposition and in government.

He has always made a case against the NDC using the very data they produced while in government. He has used the same data to compare our performance in these challenging times against theirs and has exposed their level of incompetence countless.

Dr Bawumia is an exceptional political communicator with the ability to break down complex economic concepts to the understanding of the layperson and he has used this skill so effectively, the NDC is yet to find a match for him. It is therefore understandable that they have deployed all the arsenals they can gather to attack him since he is their nemesis.

The spokesperson for one of the aspirants said on the radio that DMB is the only one that gives the NDC nightmares. Additionally, the fact that the Northern Region which the NDC used to win convincingly has become a battleground with the seats equally split for the NPP and NDC is of great concern to the NDC.

These gains made by the NPP in the Northern Region have been widely attributed to the level of work done by DMB in the region. Arguably, none has defended the party and government more than he has done in the last decade.

Competent

DMB has demonstrated that he is a competent economist. All of the places and persons he has worked with have excellent testimonies of his level of competence. His former boss at the Bank of Ghana (Dr Paul Acquah) one of the most revered economists in our country has on countless occasions indicated his level of competence and the quality of the work he did while at the Bank of Ghana.

His work at the African Development Bank in Zimbabwe, as the lawyers will say ‘Res ipsa loquitur’. In government, he has shown competence in all the various innovations he has championed, from the digitisation of NHIS renewals and claims payments, health records digitization, paperless port, and mobile money interoperability just to name a few.

The peerless President John Agyekum Kufour (JAK) described DMB as someone the country is lucky to have. He was talking in relation to the challenges that we face currently and the skillset that is needed to face these challenges.

He said ‘the nation is lucky to have such a son as Alhaj Dr Mahmoud Bawumia who rightly fits the role of the needed analyst. He is an economist, banker and also a responsible politician’. I will say no truer words have been spoken.

Technology

DMB knows what time it is and he is using his valuable skillsets to ensure that Ghana is well-positioned to reap the benefits of technology. We live in a technology age and every country needs a leader who understands how technology can be leveraged to bring development to the citizenry and make their life
easier.

He has shown through the various technology-based initiatives that he has championed in this government that he does not only understand the interplay between technology and all sectors of our economy but has introduced innovative ways of leveraging the advantages that technology provides to hasten our developments.

For instance, I do not have to sleep in darkness because the credit on my electricity meter run out. Just with the click of a bottom, I can recharge my electricity credit regardless of the time of the day.

People no longer need to go queue for days just to renew their NHIS cards. These are very simple technology-based solutions that are making life easier for the citizenry and also making revenue mobilization easier for various companies.

The revenue inflows can also be easily tracked in real-time. The highest amount raised at any football game in Ghana was done through the use of technology in ticket sales, such that the revenue inflows and the ticket sales could be tracked in real-time. Guess who was behind this innovative idea, yes DMB and his team.

Marketed

DMB is the most marketed of all the aspirants. He has been heavily involved in all elections since 2008, his role in the election petition hearing in 2012, where he was on national television every day for close to nine hours as the star witness of the petition is a few of the things that have exposed him to the Ghanaian populace.

The way he and his wife, Samira Bawumia campaigned particularly in the 2016 and 2020 elections was not just admirable but effective. Again, he has been the most active and visible Vice President in the history of Ghana.

He has been at the forefront of a lot of the innovative projects introduced by this government. He has effectively communicated government policies and decisions in his town hall meetings and defended governments anytime the opposition attacks.

He has toured the country much more than any other aspirant, he has touched base with the grassroots much more than any other candidate and Bawumia is a house name in every city, town, village or hamlet. From Aflao to Zabzugu, from Bawku to Cape three point and from Hamille to Winneba the Signal is strong.

Dr Mahamadu Bawumia is the man of the moment.

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Author: Dr Abdul-Razak Wuni
bawumiabugri@gmail.com