Former Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, has denied a viral video in which he is captured pledging his support for the flagbearership ambition of Trade Minister, Alan Kyeremanten.
According to Osafo Maafo who is now designated Senior Presidential Advisor, he never made any such utterance.
“The Office of the Senior Presidential Advisor registers its dismay and disappointment to a Social media circulation purported to indicate Hon. Osafo-Maafo’s support for Hon. Kwadwo Alan Keyeremanten, Minister for Trade and Industry, as against that of H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana in the next perceived presidential flagbearership race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP),” Osafo Maafo stated.
“Hon. Osafo-Maafo has never uttered such irresponsible, misguided, tribalistic and ethnocentric statement either in public or private, directly or indirectly, and has no cause to do so,” parts of a statement from his office read.
The statement dated October 15, 2021, said Mr. Osafo Maafo is currently not even in the country. “The Senior Presidential Advisor is currently in Dubai at the invitation of the Global Business Forum Africa 2021 during which he also launched Ghana’s participation in EXPO 2020 Dubai.”
A video capturing Mr. Osafo Maafo purportedly pledging his support for Alan Kyeremanten over Dr. Bawumia recently went viral on social.
In it, Osafo Maafo is heard saying that Alan has been a longer-standing member of the NPP than Bawumia and is, therefore, better deserving of his support for the 2024 presidential ticket of the NPP.
“Bawumia has done a lot for the NPP and I acknowledge that but the NPP rewards long service. Therefore, I support Alan Kyerematen to lead NPP into the 2024 elections,” Osafo-Maafo was quoted in the viral video.
However, Osafo Marfo claims he never said that anywhere.
The NPP faces a potentially acrimonious presidential primary for its next flagbearer for 2024 with Akufo-Addo on the way out after a second term in office.
So far, a number of names have popped up including Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Trade Minister, Alan Kyeremanten and Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia.
It is however expected that the contest will be mainly between Bawumia and Alan Kyeremanten.