The Minister of Local Government, Rural Development, and Decentralisation, Daniel Botwe, has refuted allegations that President Akufo-Addo dismissed 24 District Chief Executives (DCEs) due to their opposition to Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's presidential aspirations.

Rumors circulated suggesting that the former DCEs were ousted to prevent any hindrance to Dr. Bawumia's bid for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming general election in December 2024.

In an interview with Asaase FM, Mr. Botwe dismissed these claims, categorizing them as unfounded and urged people to disregard such speculation.

”This speculation has no basis at all. Nobody can make this allegation a statement of fact. The President who has worked with these people knows them very well and knows why he’s kicked them out of office.

“One cannot say that DCEs who have been sacked are from areas where Dr. Bawumia didn’t perform well during the NPP flagbearer race. This claim is not supported by any statistics or any facts, so let’s not make such allegations,” he said.

”The President, at any point in time, looks at the team he’s working with and makes changes as he deems necessary to strengthen his government to enable him to meet the aspirations of the people. That is exactly what he’s done with this reshuffle.”

He emphasized that assertions linking the removal of DCEs to regions where Dr. Bawumia performed poorly in the NPP flagbearer race lack statistical support and factual basis.

"The President, at any point in time, looks at the team he's working with and makes changes as he deems necessary to strengthen his government to enable him to meet the aspirations of the people. That is exactly what he's done with this reshuffle," Botwe explained.

On February 2, the President revoked the appointments of 24 DCEs nationwide, without providing an explicit explanation. Some sources suggest that the dismissals were concentrated in regions where Dr. Bawumia faced challenges during the previous year's primaries.

In a separate statement on February 3, the President appointed 26 new individuals to replace the dismissed DCEs. The statement outlined that the appointments are pending approval by their respective assemblies, in accordance with article 243 (3) of the Constitution.