Who will be appointed campaign manager for Bawumia’s 2024 presidential bid?

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP presidential candidate, is expected to name key persons who will partner with him to campaign for the presidency

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday, 27 January 2024, completed all her internal elections after conducting parliamentary primaries in constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament, effectively, completing all internal activities before the 7 December general elections.

With these primaries and all other internal party exercises out of the way, the NPP’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is expected to name key persons who will partner with him to crisscross the sixteen regions of the country to ask the Ghanaian people to entrust the presidency into his hands.

Apart from naming his vice presidential running mate, Dr Bawumia must appoint a true party faithful as his Campaign Manager. The role of the Campaign Manager is to meritoriously lead the entire campaign of the candidate and birth a strategy that will propel Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to victory after the 7 December presidential and parliamentary elections.

As is expected, various names have sprung up as possible candidates for the position of campaign manager for the NPP’s quest to retain power after serving in office for two consecutive terms. Given the magnitude of this task, the NPP has named the 2024 election mission, “Breaking the 8”.

Asaase News can confidently affirm that five names are making the rounds within the rank and file of the NPP and also among the party’s top hierarchy. The five persons are first, Sammy Awuku, a former National Organiser of the party and current parliamentary candidate of the NPP for the Akuapem North Constituency in the Eastern Region, as well as the serving Director General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).

Second, is Dan Botwe, a former General Secretary of the NPP, and the sitting but outgoing Member of Parliament of Okere Constituency in the Eastern Region, as well as the serving Minister for Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development (MLGRD).

Peter Mac Manu, a former National Chairman of the NPP and two-term Campaign Manager for President Akufo-Addo in the 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns, is the third name making the rounds as the possible candidate for the role of a Campaign Manager for the party’s 2024 campaign.

The remaining names in consideration are John Boadu, the immediate past General Secretary of the NPP and now the serving Director-General for the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), and Kwabena Adjei Agyapong, also a former General Secretary of the NPP and former spokesperson for President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Sammy Awuku is well-known in the New Patriotic Party, having served as a National Youth Organiser and subsequently, National Organiser. However, some party faithful have raised concerns about where he would be on D-day because he is the parliamentary candidate for Akuapem North and would be required to be in his constituency on 7 December 2024. Additionally, as a serving Director General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), those who are not in favour of the presidential candidate appointing him as the Campaign Manager argue that his attention would be divided between the campaign and his corporate duties.

Additionally, some party stalwarts point out that in the UP/NPP tradition, the party has never had a campaign manager who was also contesting a parliamentary seat and occupying a position in any state or private institution alongside the performance of his challenging duties as the Campaign Manager.

The outgoing member of Parliament for Okere, Dan Botwe, is also one of those who may be considered for the role of Campaign Manager. Having served as General Secretary of the NPP and as a Campaign Strategist for the party during the Akufo-Addo 2016 and 2020 campaigns, Mr Botwe has a wealth of experience that supports the Bawumia campaign.

Those not in favour of Dan Botwe as the Campaign Manager indicate that he may have had an influence on the party rank and file in the past but may lack the level of influence required to whip up the base of the party to “break the 8”. However, they still argue that Mr Dan Botwe ought to play a vital role in the Bawumia campaign but not necessarily as the Campaign Manager.

Another likely candidate for the role of Campaign Manager is Mr Peter Mac Manu. After serving as the NPP National Chairman, Mr Mac Manu took up the role of Campaign Manager for President Akufo-Addo in December 2016 and in December 2020, winning both elections for the party. Those in support of his appointment as Campaign Manager indicate that he is a safe pair of hands to entrust the campaign to because of his track record.

On the other hand, those on the flipside suggest that he may have had great campaign success in the past but he may not be fit for the role given the present challenges and the level of energy required to prosecute such a crucial campaign ahead of the NPP.

These proponents of this school of thought are of the considered opinion that it is time to appoint a new person as a Campaign Manager instead of sticking to the previously successful Campaign Manager. They go on to recommend that Mr Mac Manu just like Dan Botwe, should be given another prominent role to play in the Bawumia 2024 campaign.

John Boadu after exiting the role of ‘chief scribe’ of the NPP has kept out of public view while supporting the efforts of the NPP with his vast experience, after serving in three major roles in the NPP; National Youth Organiser, National Organiser, and General Secretary.

Those who have put forth his name as the possible Campaign Manager for Dr Bawumia’s presidential bid note that he understands the current state of the NPP and will be able to use that understanding to energise the base of the party to come out and vote for the party’s candidate on 7 December 2024.

The counter-argument against appointing John Boadu as the Bawumia’s Campaign Manager, is that having lost bitterly against the current General Secretary of the NPP in the last national officers’ election, putting him at the helm of the next campaign may create a conflict between him and the serving General Secretary, Justin Koduah Frimpong.

The last person whose name has come up for mention for the role of Campaign Manager for the Vice President and presidential candidate of the NPP is Kwabena Agyei Agyapong who once served as the Campaign Manager for then-candidate Akufo-Addo when he first attempted to be the presidential candidate of the NPP in 1996 .

Despite his internal challenges in the NPP, which resulted in his suspension in 2015, together with the then National Chairman and 2nd vice chairman, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong has remained faithful and loyal to the New Patriotic Party.

Kwabena Agyapong is very well known for his eloquence and command over both the English language and other local dialects in Ghana. Even though he was part of President Akufo-Addo’s campaign in 2012 and 2020, he has never served in any official role during the Akufo-Addo administration. In 2010 and 2023, he contested the presidential primaries of the NPP but failed to win.

Some well-meaning NPP supporters believe that he has been punished enough for the crisis of 2015 and it is time to leverage on his strengths and capabilities to promote the candidacy of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and to tackle apathy in the NPP.

There is a clear and present danger ahead of the ruling NPP in her quest to win a third successive term in office, a feat any political party has yet to achieve since the coming into force of the 4th republican constitution. The NPP to achieve this, ought to have a clear vision and plan to mobilize and energise the base of the party to turn up in their numbers to vote.

The party also needs a Campaign Manager who can appeal to those who have become apathetic towards the party, overlook all the difficulties and challenges that have bedeviled the party while in office for the last nearly eight years, and step out to vote for the NPP to retain power.

Thus, the Campaign Manager must be one who can command respect at all levels of the party and get the job of putting the party’s presidential candidate above all other candidates who may be contesting in the 7 December election and to get the job done. Your guess about the choice of the Campaign Manager for the Bawumia 2024 campaign is as good as mine.