Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has reminded people within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who are always happy to fan divisive sentiments for their parochial interests, that the NPP and its founding tradition have never considered tribal and religious factors in selecting leaders.
Speaking in Wa during his ongoing campaign tour of the Upper West Region, Dr. Bawumia said the NPP and its founding tradition have always made important considerations, including competence, loyalty and ability to win when choosing leaders, and cited historical examples to buttress his point.
“When you look at our party, we have never voted on tribal lines. We always vote on the basis of competence, of capacity and who can win the power for us,” Dr. Bawumia said, telling the audience how the north has in the past supported leaders who were not from the northern part of the country, and how he also enjoys widespread support from all parts of the country.
“That is how it started with our forefathers SD Dombo, Abayifa Karbo and co when the leadership was ceded to Busia. If it was on tribal basis, the Northen People Party would have kept the leadership in the United Party,” he said.
“The north also supported Kufuor and didn’t support Malik in 1998. The north also supported Akufo-Addo and didn’t support Aliu Mahama in 2007. That is how it is in our party.”
Dr. Bawumia added that those trumpeting tribalism against the north for supporting him, do not appreciate the history of the party he has outlined and have also not realised that his support transcends the northern part of the country.
“Simply because the north is supporting me doesn’t mean it is tribalistic. There are 15 other regions that is supporting Dr. Bawumia so it is not about tribalism.
“This party doesn’t vote on tribalism. We vote on competence and we vote on who can help us win power.
“And so all those people who are out there in our party making tribal and bigoted statements should desist from that because their comments are not ruining Dr. Bawumia; they are rather ruining the image of the party.”