There is simmering tension among members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region over who will become the running mate to the newly elected flagbearer of the party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Supporters of the two supposed leading contenders for the slot- Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister for Energy; and Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, have been at each other’s neck post the presidential primary that elected Dr. Bawumia as NPP flagbearer for the 2024 presidential elections.

The clash between supporters of the two prominent figures has not only exposed internal divisions but has also raised concerns about the party's stability in the region.

The fierce competition between the two camps has led to an alarming increase in smear campaigns and verbal attacks aimed at securing the coveted positions for their respective candidates.

Consequently, the hostility among party members has reached unprecedented levels, threatening to disrupt the relative harmony that the NPP has enjoyed in the region.

Efforts by the supporters of the two supposed contenders have become so intense that various media campaigns and attacks have been launched in an attempt to bully the party and the presidential candidate into selecting their candidate.  

A group in support of the Education Minister Dr Adutwum, called the Active Ashanti Region Serial Callers have accused the supporters of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh of orchestrating a vicious media campaign to discredit Adutwum's credentials. They claim that the rival faction has consistently engaged in underhanded tactics to undermine Adutwum's chances, thereby creating an atmosphere of mistrust and animosity.

The rivalry between the two ministers traces back to their tenure at the Ministry of Education during President Akufo-Addo's first term.

Amidst the escalating tensions, voices from within the region are calling for a more neutral candidate to be considered for the position, with Deputy Minister for Finance and Member of Parliament for Ejisu, Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah, emerging as a potential unifying figure. 

The option of Dr. John Kumah sounds more appealing to power brokers who are of the view that his strong affinity with the Christian community and his job creation prowess holds a lot of potentials that can be exploited.

Various stalwarts of the party in the Ashanti Region have begun advocating strongly for the party to look beyond the two leading contenders in order to preserve the peace and unity in the region ahead of the elections.

Concerned about the escalating conflicts, MP for Kwadaso, Kingsley Nyarko stressed the importance of selecting a running mate from the Ashanti Region. Nyarko emphasised that the region's crucial role in determining the NPP's electoral success necessitates a candidate who can effectively garner support and unite the diverse factions within the party.

“There are a lot of competent personalities from the region so I don’t think that it is out of place to get someone from there. He [Dr Bawumia] can decide to choose the running mate from any other region but I think that a running mate from the Ashanti region will be a step in the right direction,” he said.

As the internal strife within the Ashanti Region's NPP continues to intensify, the party leadership faces a mounting pressure to quell the discord and foster a more harmonious atmosphere ahead of the highly anticipated 2024 elections. Given the high stakes in Election 2024, the party's ability to navigate these internal conflicts may prove pivotal in securing its political fortunes in the region.