Campaign Manager for Ken Agyapong admits to offering incentives to delegates ahead of November 4 primaries
In the lead-up to the New Patriotic Party‘s (NPP) presidential primaries scheduled for November 4, Mr. Kwame Owusu, the campaign manager for flagbearer hopeful Kennedy Agyapong, has acknowledged that their campaign team has turned to financial incentives as a strategy to woo delegates.
This approach is seen as a response to the significant sums of money being distributed to delegates by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s camp.
Mr. Owusu explained that they opted to provide incentives to delegates due to the high amounts of money being offered by their opponents. He cited concerns that, despite the claims of financial constraints, large sums were being circulated, raising suspicions among party members.
“He has given some inducements which are far too high and people look at it and they are very dissatisfied as to things that we have not been able to pay, such as NABCO. Recently we were even owing soo much money as regards to school feeding and the rest…so when people see the amount of money that is moving that they claim they don’t have, people become suspicious,” Mr Owus told Accra-based Citi FM.
In response to whether Mr. Agyapong’s camp was offering financial inducements to delegates, Mr. Owusu confirmed, “Oh yes, Oh yes, we are only saying that if we are inducing, we should do it in such a way that people don’t see it as buying them. That they are being encouraged to do that.”
He acknowledged the existence of similar inducement practices in both the NPP and the NDC, given the methods of candidate selection.
“But I am saying that this is the game, NDC, NPP given the method by which our candidates are selected it has given rise to these kinds of things.”
Mr. Owusu also expressed his reservations regarding Dr. Bawumia’s qualifications for leading Ghana, highlighting what he deemed as a lackluster performance over the last six years.
He further alleged that many Members of Parliament and prominent party figures were backing Dr. Bawumia’s candidacy out of fear of the potential changes that Kennedy Agyapong might introduce to the party if he were selected as the flagbearer.
