Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's campaign team has responded to what they deem as misinformation surrounding the branded vehicles featuring the Vice President's image that recently circulated on social media.
In an interview on The Pulse on JoyNews, Kofi Tonto, a member of the campaign team, clarified that the vehicles were not funded by the government but were donated by individuals who support Dr Bawumia's aspiration to become the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) flagbearer.
Contrary to rumours, Tonto stated, “There is misinformation that there are about 300 pickups, it is not true. There are just six pickups. Another misinformation is that we used the IMF money to buy the pickups, which is quite laughable. It can't be possible, it is not true.”
He further explained, “The pickups were cars that were donated by people who believe in the cause…As it stands now, they have given it to us as a gift to support the campaign, the vehicles are being transported to other parts of the country.”
Earlier this week, a video featuring a convoy of pickup trucks adorned with Vice President Dr Bawumia's campaign logo went viral on social media.
The footage showed MG T60 pickup trucks displaying Dr Bawumia's image driving through the streets of the capital. The video generated mixed reactions online, with some of the Vice President's supporters expressing enthusiasm about his readiness for the flagbearer race, while others criticized him for obtaining vehicles for his campaign amidst the current economic challenges.
In response to the viral video, Emmanuel Bedzrah, the Member of Parliament for Ho West, called for an investigation into the branded vehicles bearing Dr Bawumia's image.
Mr Bedzrah urged the government to introduce a political finance bill to prevent questionable funding of political activities, emphasizing the need for transparency in party financing.
However, Mr Tonto emphasized that the campaign team is cautious about the donations they receive and conducts background checks to ensure that the individuals are upstanding members of society without any incriminating past.
He explained, “The donation comes in different forms. In the instance where we have asked people to donate through, for example, a short code, we will not be able to ascertain every person's background, but for people who bring quantifiable and verifiable items, we will do our due diligence.”
Tonto highlighted that the team has adopted an optimized approach, creating various campaign designs for different merchandise. When individuals offer support with specific items, they provide the corresponding design to ensure consistency.
He concluded by stating, “A few individuals who are volunteers and believe in the cause reached out and said they want to support the campaign with some vehicles. They told us what vehicles, we gave them the design, and they went off to do their design. That is it, that is simply what transpired.”
