Prof. Kobby Mensah, a political marketing strategist, has remarked that the incumbent New Patriotic Party lacks strong personalities heading into the 2024 election, given that two of the four underperformed in their different capacities as members of the present administration.
Prof. Mensah stated on JoyNews’ PM Express that the duo of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and former Food and Agriculture Minister Dr. Afriyie Akoto, who are currently running for the NPP in the 2024 general election, have tainted their political images due to their abysmal performance while in office.
Prof. Mensah, recognised for his strong insights into political strategy, voiced reservations about the two candidates’ ability to effectively manage the country and said that the party was “for the first time, presenting very weak candidates.”
Prof. Mensah was particularly concerned about the situation of economic management under the NPP, with Dr. Bawumia as the leader of the Economic Management Team.
“Economic management has been in shambles, and I’m surprised that they are trying to tout Dr. Bawumia’s credentials.”
Dr. Bawumia was also chastised for his utter quiet on economic matters since the country’s financial crisis began, with the political strategist stating, “I have never heard him [Dr. Bawumia] speak about the economy since the economy started plummeting.”
“Let us be frank, whenever they have spoken, they’ve attributed our economic woes to Ukraine and Covid-19 but everybody knows that they have mismanaged the economy,” he told host Evans Mensah on Wednesday.
Turning his attention to Dr Afryie Akoto, Prof Mensah questioned the performance of the Food and Agriculture Ministry during his tenure.
He specifically cited the “Planting for Food and Jobs” programme, saying the initiative was in “shambles.”
Prof Mensah criticized the strategies employed during the Minister’s tenure, characterising them as “knee-jerk”, suggesting that they failed to yield significant results.
But speaking on the show, a former National Organiser of the governing NPP, Sammy Awuku, vehemently opposed Prof Mensah’s description of the party’s presidential aspirants, saying the NDC had worse aspiring presidential candidates during their primary, and yet he Prof Mensah did not make such statements about them.
In his response, Mr Awuku highlighted the qualifications attained by the two contenders and believed that when given the mandate they would deliver accordingly.
The governing party is preparing to select its flagbearer this weekend. Delegates are to decide whether the Vice President, Dr Afriyie Akoto, Kennedy Agyapong and Francis Addai-Nimoh will be on the ticket of the party in 2024
