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Former legislator for the Asikuma-Odobeng-Brakwa constituency, Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori, has commended the 2012 vice presidential of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Bawumia for improving upon his past weaknesses and establishing himself as a figure that the party can count on in days of trouble. In Hon. Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori�s view, his harsh criticisms on Dr. Bawumia in the past have yielded the long awaiting results which they wanted to see in him. �He was in the Northern region during last year�s elections and called me to thank me for criticizing him. He told me he had learnt a lot and this has made him manage to attract a larger crowd for the party�, he said. In times past, Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori reiterated his call for the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party to select a running mate who can win a huge chunk of the Northern votes. He is also on recorded to have cautioned the party to be mindful of the insignificant contributions of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the 2008 elections which according to him, �led to the defeat of the party�. However, speaking on Okay FM on Friday, May 17, 2013, Hon. Appiah- Ofori, praised Dr. Bawumia for putting up an exceptional performance during and after the 2012 general elections and noted that he has shown that he had learnt from his previous mistakes. According to Hon. Appiah-Ofori, had it not been for the �deliberate� the Electoral Commission made during the elections, the NPP would have benefitted from the massive support Dr. Bawumia brought on board. �Unlike the previous elections where his contributions were minimal, I can say that he did a great job this time round�, he said.