The former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto is set to join the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in his campaign tour of the Ashanti Region.
This move to join the campaign team at this crucial moment signifies the strength of unity in the leadership of the party and to send a signal to the base of the party at its stronghold that leadership was poised to retain power.
A source who disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times said, the presence of Dr Afriyie Akoto, a son of Baffour Osei Akoto, a founding pillar of the UP tradition, is expected to add to the ferocity of the campaign in the Ashanti Region.
Dr Bawumia’s campaign train is set to roll out in the Ashanti Region starting from Monday, November 4, 2024 and expected to spend two weeks in the region that is seen as the backbone of the NPP.
He said Dr. Afriyie Akoto’s participation will add a major boost to the campaign and further signify the determination of the NPP to “break the 8”.
Dr Afriyie Akoto who is a renowned agric-economist together with eight others contested with Dr. Bawumia in the party’s Presidential primaries for the flagbearership of the NPP held late last year.
The active participation of all of the contestants in the flagbearership race demonstrate the unity of purpose with which the NPP is conducting its current campaign ‘to break the 8’.
The campaign agenda of Dr. Bawumia is based on promoting a digital economy with focus on; establishing an efficient credit system for economic growth and jobs creation; implementing a business-friendly tax regime; promoting a cleaner environment; and expanding the gold for oil policy to strengthen the Ghanaian Cedi against the major international trading currencies.
As the “farmers’ friend”, Dr. Afriyie Akoto has been highlighting the benefits and support that the Akufo-Addo’s government has been providing to farmers of this country to promote agriculture.
The message of the former two-term Member of Parliament (MP) of Kwadaso as he accompanies Dr. Bawumia on this tour will be to remind the farmers in the Ashanti Region and the other regions of Ghana of the unprecedented support the government of Akufo-Addo has provided to them in the last eight years.
This message is targeted at soliciting the votes of the 3.6 million farmers in Ghana.
By Cliff Ekuful