Obiri Boahen ‘clashes’ with Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu over ethnocentric comments against Akans

Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen has chided Majority leader in parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu for saying that it will be unwise for the NPP to choose an Akan as a flagbearer to replace President Akufo-Addo in election 2024.

Nana Obiri Boahen who disagrees with Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated that delegates look beyond ethnicity when choosing a flagbearer to represent the party in the national elections.

He furthered that delegates look beyond the academic excellence of aspirants, rather, they vote for someone who is competent and can do the work.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story Wednesday, April 7, 2021, Mr Boahen said, “The delegates will determine who be the leader. I don’t think that using the aspirants’ ethnic background, chains of degree and academic pedigree will be the criteria, certainly not.”

“The most important thing for us is to select a leader who has the wherewithal to lead us to break the eight, irrespective of where the leader would come from, popularity in society and chain of degrees,” he added.

Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu in an interview on Joy News’ “The Probe” intimated that it will not be wise on the part of the New Patriotic Party which has been tagged an Akan party to present another Akan after the tenure of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to him, presenting another Akan as its flagbearer will make it seem as the NPP is no respecter of other ethnic groups in the country.

“Inwardly, I know also I have the competence but is it wise for me now immediately after two Akans; Kufuor had been the president, Akufo-Addo follows from the Eastern Region and there is a third Akan to follow? Doing introspection, I think it may not hold well for a party that is accused by some as being overly Akanistic party. But not everybody agrees with me. And that is the beauty of democracy,” he said.