A prominent Political Marketing Strategist, Prof Kobby Mensah, has expressed doubts about the strength of the governing New Patriotic Party's (NPP) presidential candidates for the upcoming 2024 election.
He argued that two of the four aspirants have underperformed in their current roles, negatively affecting their political images.
Speaking on JoyNews' PM Express, Prof Mensah criticized the duo of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and former Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, both seeking the NPP's presidential nomination, stating that their performance in government roles was subpar.
According to Prof Mensah, the NPP is “for the first time, presenting very weak candidates” for the presidential race. He raised concerns about economic management under Dr. Bawumia's leadership, asserting that the country's economy has been in turmoil.
“Economic management has been in shambles, and I'm surprised that they are trying to tout Dr Bawumia's credentials,” he stated, suggesting that the current economic crisis has been poorly managed by the government.
Prof Mensah also criticized Dr Bawumia for his silence on economic matters despite the financial challenges faced by the nation, noting, “I have never heard him [Dr. Bawumia] speak about the economy since the economy started plummeting.”
Shifting his focus to Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Prof Mensah questioned the performance of the Food and Agriculture Ministry during his tenure. He specifically mentioned the “Planting for Food and Jobs” programme, stating that it was in disarray.
He criticized the strategies employed during Dr. Akoto's tenure, describing them as “knee-jerk” and suggesting that they failed to yield significant results.
However, a former National Organiser of the NPP, Sammy Awuku, disagreed with Prof Mensah's assessment, arguing that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) had worse presidential candidates during their primary, and yet Prof Mensah had not made similar statements about them.
Mr. Awuku highlighted the qualifications of the two NPP contenders and believed that they would deliver on their mandates if elected.
The NPP is preparing to select its presidential flagbearer, with Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Kennedy Agyapong, and Francis Addai-Nimoh as the candidates vying for the nomination. The party's delegates will make their decision this weekend.
