Member of Parliament for Yendi in the Northern region has called on the Trades Minister, Alan Kyerematen to distance himself from a comment made by Hopeson Adorye in Kumasi
Umar Farouk Aliu Mahama says the comment was a reckless one.
He says the failure of Mr Kyerematen to distance himself from it will hurt the fortunes of the New Patriotic Party in the 2024 General Election.
“The issue is that you don’t have a leading member like Hopeson on the campaign of our senior brother Alan Kyerematen for him to be speaking like that and saying that northerners are supposed to be vice presidents that’s what it will be.
“It is a reckless statement and I mean even Alan Kyerematen should distance himself from that thing because it can hurt us in the future,” he told Nana Jantuah on Nhyira FM’s Kuro Yi Mu Nsem show.
Mr Adorye is alleged to have said “in the NPPs tradition, Northerners are fit for the running mate position” during a health walk dubbed ‘Walk for Alan’ held in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
According to him, even if Mr Kyerematen wins the flagbearership of the NPP it will be difficult for him to solicit for votes in the north because of the reckless comment of Mr Adorye.
“Can he come to Yendi to say he needs votes from the north?” quizzed Farouk. “Because of that reckless statement, it can affect the fortunes of the NPP”.
The son of the late Aliu Mahama says regardless of one’s region, everyone is eligible to lead the NPP.
“It is not in the NPP constitution that every time the NPP’s flagbearer should come from a particular group, it should be a level playing field for everybody.
“But when we limit it to say only the Akan people can lead the NPP, no, it doesn’t work like that,” he said.
Umar Farouk says in the run up to the NPP’s flagbearer polls, the party members should tone down on their choice of words since anyone who wins will need every vote of the party members to win election 2024.
He wants Mr Adorye to properly apologise for peace to prevail.
