Kwasi Kwarteng, spokesperson for Kennedy Agyapong, a presidential aspirant in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) upcoming primaries, has launched a sharp critique of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the party’s 2024 flagbearer.
Kwarteng accused Bawumia of avoiding accountability by “playing ostrich” and focusing excessively on tribal politics, warning him against silencing other aspirants who rely on similar appeals to their ethnic or regional bases.
Speaking on the Channel One program Point of View monitored by Kumasimail, Kwarteng highlighted how Bawumia, during the 2024 campaign, emphasized his northern origins to consolidate the Zongo and Muslim votes.
He recalled, “He made a very strong case for being the candidate who would bring in the Zongo and Muslim votes, arguing that his main opponent, John Mahama of the NDC, not being Muslim, could not appeal to those communities.”
According to Kwarteng, this strategy helped Bawumia clinch the NPP primaries but ultimately backfired in the general election.
Kwarteng underscored a principle in politics, one cannot “approbate and reprobate”meaning a politician cannot set a standard for others and then claim victimhood when it is used against them.
“Bawumia has been the biggest beneficiary of tribal and religious identity politics. Now, when others use similar strategies, he portrays himself as a victim,” Kwarteng said.
When pressed on whether he believed Bawumia is now playing the victim card, Kwarteng replied, “Yes, this is a strategic move left for him. Since 1992, we’ve seen consistent voting patterns in Ghana Ashanti Region strongly supports the NPP, while the Volta Region remains an NDC stronghold. These patterns are no coincidence or magic; they are rooted in identity politics.”
He added that while identity politics is a reality, it becomes problematic only when exploited crudely.
“Recently, 11 MPs from northern Ghana campaigned actively for Bawumia in his home region. There is nothing wrong with telling people, ‘He is one of us; vote for him.’ The problem lies in gagging others from doing the same,” Kwarteng argued.
He insisted every candidate must have the freedom to appeal to their own constituencies, saying, “If we vote purely on these realities, it will not serve the party well. Politics is a strategic game.”
Kwarteng called for a frank and honest discussion about the role of ethnic and religious considerations in Ghanaian politics.
“We must have this conversation in a dispassionate and constructive manner, not confrontational,” he said.
Source: www.Kumasimail/Kwadwo Owusu
