Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer, has urged members of the Party’s external branches to come together and work as a team for victory in the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.  

Speaking at the NPP International Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the weekend, Dr Bawumia said the Diaspora branches were crucial to the Party’s victory in December. 

“The diaspora branches of the NPP have been very key to the fortunes of the NPP. And for the 2024 elections, you have major roles to play,” he mphasised. 

The NPP Flagbearer stated that in recognition of their key roles, his campaign had set up a special structure for diaspora affairs.  

“Dear Patriots, many of you in the diaspora have asked about your role in the campaign. The National Campaign Team comprises the diaspora coordination team made up of Dr Akwasi Acheampong, Amponsah Stonash, Obaa Yaa Frimpong, Richard Gyamfi, Emmanuel Attafuah and Kingsley Agyemang,”Dr Bawumia stated. 

“The purpose of the team is to bring to bear the exceptional talents in the diaspora, coordinate plans and ideas from the diaspora, among other resources, to infuse them into the broader national campaign strategy and execution.” 

“I do not doubt that the team we have assembled will work extremely hard to make all diaspora feel a part of the campaign.” 

Dr. Bawumia assured them of his readiness to embrace all party members and underscored the need for them to unite for the party to break the eight, and also win the majority seats in Parliament. 

“Unity is not something we must take for granted. We must work vigorously at it. As your flagbearer, I stand before you, as an inclusive and unifying person, with a deep-seated conviction to embrace all of you to my team and campaign,” he assured. 

 “I pledge not to alienate any of you. I stand with you, whether you campaigned for me or not.” 

The NPP International Conference was attended by representatives of the party’s external branches across the world. 

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, has assured Ghanaians of his unalloyed accountability to them after 2024 if elected as President of the Republic in the December Election. 

Speaking at the NPP’s International Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, over the weekend, Dr Bawumia stated that he had never been president before, and if given the opportunity, would be more accountable to Ghanaians because he would have another opportunity to present himself for re-election. 

He said that was unlike his main contender former President John Dramani Mahama, who would not return because he would be serving just one-term in office in the unlikely event he was elected as President of Ghana in the December polls. 

“Apart from my proven track record as Vice President, hard work, credibility and vision for the future of Ghana, another reason I should be voted for is that I will be more accountable to the people of Ghana than John Mahama,” Dr Bawumia said. 

“As President, I will be more accountable because I will have another opportunity to seek the mandate of the people after 2024.  Mahama has just one term and he will not come back to Ghanaians to seek re-election, so he will not be accountable.” 

“Ghana needs a leader with credibility and a proven track record to solve generational problems and corruption.” 

Dr Bawumia said he had proven to be a problem-solver and anti-corruption advocate through policies he had spearheaded as Vice President.  

“Ghana needs problem solvers, generational thinkers and people with innovative ideas,” he said.  

“I am a problem solver and a generational thinker with innovative ideas. I have a solid track record as Vice-President to prove it.” 

The NPP Flagbearer made reference to several policy initiatives he had spearheaded, which were addressing generational problems in the country. 

These include the digital national identity system, which is addressing the age-long problem of lack of national identity and exclusion; and the the national property address system, which is addressing the problem of lack of property identity,” he said. 

“The mobile money interoperability, resolving the issue of financial exclusion and promoting a cashless society, digitalisation of public services to promoting efficiency and reducing corruption, delivery of essential drugs to remote areas through drones, as well as the One-Ambulance, One-Constituency, and Agenda 111 hospitals.” 

The NPP Flagbearer said he had demonstrated a stronger commitment to the fight against corruption and referenced the digitalisation of many public services, which was contributing effectively to the corruption fight. 

“What policies did former President Mahama initiate to fight corruption as President or Vice President? If you ask him, he cannot state one because he was not committed to fighting corruption,” he said. 

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) will open nominations for its presidential primaries from April 1 to April 30, 2024.

A statement signed by Remy Paa Kow Edmundson, National Secretary, PPP, said the decision was arrived at the Party’s National Committee meeting held on March 7, 2024.

The Party said members who were interested in representing the PPP in the 2024 presidential elections could access the nomination forms at the National Secretary’s Office at the Party’s Headquarters.

The PPP said it had slashed the filing fees for female candidates and persons with disabilities by 50 per cent.

The Party said interested candidates must demonstrate their ability to mobilise resources to contest the 2024 elections on the ticket of the Party.

“The Progressive People’s Party commits to undertake a free, fair and transparent Presidential Primary election and urges all Party members to support this endeavour,” the statement said.

Madam Brigitte Akosua Dzogbenuku, the 2020 Presidential Candidate and 2016 running mate of the Party is reported to have declared her interest in contesting the flag bearership slot.

The Party earlier announced that it would be targeting not more than 10 parliamentary seats in constituencies that the PPP was confident of winning in the 2024 General Election.

In the 2020 elections, the Party fielded 19 parliamentary candidates but could not secure a seat in Parliament.

The National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) “24-hour economy” will be the game changer in the 2024 General Election, Mr Francis Xavier Sosu, Madina Member of Parliament, has said.

Mr. Sosu has, therefore, urged all Ghanaians to vote massively for the NDC to turn things around.

The Madina MP said the government was the largest employer and that with the 24-hour economy, workers would work in a three-shift system, towards the creation of more decent jobs.

He said this when he visited the Berean Assemblies of God Church at Manet, Ogbojo near Madina.

The 24-hour economy is an economic model whereby the whole or part of the architecture or infrastructure of the economy adjusts to support 24-hour operations of businesses, factories, government services, restaurants, shops, healthcare delivery, banking and other services throughout the day and night.

The MP and Lawyer noted that in the year 2022, the unemployment rate was at 13.7 per cent and in the year 2023, it was over 14 per cent.

“This year, we do not know what the unemployment situation would be like.”

Mr Sosu told the congregation that he had put in place some interventions, including scholarships for young people to continue their education and a job Centre to train people in vocation.

According to him, over 7,000 people had benefitted from the Madina Job Centre.

Mr Sosu recounted the various roles he had played in criminalising the accusation of witchcraft and the abolition of death penalty in the country.

He said he was also working tirelessly to ensure that taxes were removed on sanitary pads, and for women and men to enjoy maternity and paternity leave.

He said maternity leave would help women to breastfeed their babies with breast milk.

“Studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding enables children to develop special and unique intellect and special bond between mothers and their babies.”

He urged the Church to pray for him and the NDC as the country prepared for elections in December.

Rev. David Ampadu Berkoh, the Head Pastor of Berean Assemblies of God Church tasked the MP to ensure that roads within the Church area received facelift.

Rev Berkoh led the entire congregation to pray for the MP and the country.