A professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana (UG), Professor Ransford Gyampo, has intimated that the outcome of the New Patriotic Party’s super delegates conference held on Saturday, August 26, did not come as a surprise.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia won the New Patriotic Party (NPP) super delegates conference with a total of 629 votes, representing 68.15% of the vote.
Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong came in second with 132 votes (14.30%), while former Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen placed third with 95 votes (10.29%).
Speaking on The Point of View on Citi TV, Prof. Gyampo said that a couple of factors, including loyalty, played a prominent role in the results of the super delegates conference.
“We know that Bawumia was going to emerge at the top, and I was actually expecting him to garner about 80% of the votes. Kennedy Agyapong was also going to get a significant number of votes because quite a number of MPs who voted felt that Ken is someone who would easily reward loyalty. They believe that if they support him now, and there is time for them to also contest their elections, he will dole out funds to support them. And should he also become a kingmaker and he is asked to bring up names for an appointment, he will easily point out to those who gave him their loyalty. Apart from that, he is also a grassroots person, and so this placed him in a certain advantage over the others.
“I was not also surprised by the votes that were garnered by Alan Kyerematen. Even though a lot of people were expecting him to be second, he was between second and third. But what I believe was important is the fact that he was looking forward to being named as part of the top five, and he got that.”