Francis Addai-Nimoh, a 2024 flag bearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has disclosed that he was disappointed by the party’s failure to elect him as its flag bearer for the December 2024 elections.
However, Mr. Addai-Nimoh says he was not surprised at the outcome of the elections, given the events leading up to the November 4, 2024 presidential primary.
According to him, the government was pressuring its appointees to rally behind the former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, which he believes contributed to the election outcome that saw some of them lose in the process.
Speaking on Onua TV’s morning show, Maakye, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, the former Member of Parliament for Mampong in the Ashanti region said “I was disappointed but wasn’t surprised, looking at how government appointees were being whipped to tow one line.”
He disclosed that some of them decided not to campaign in any of the constituencies, knowing the position of the central government on the elections, but had no choice but to stay in the race.
Addai-Nimoh explained that if they had opted out of the race, the public wouldn’t have taken them seriously in subsequent elections. He added that the NPP needed to instill the spirit of democracy in its internal contests, which is why some of them had to compete despite knowing there was a preferred candidate.
The NPP’s 2024 presidential primary elected Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, then Vice President of Ghana, as its flag bearer.
Dr Bawumia defeated a field of three other candidates, including Kennedy Ohene Agyapong who is a former Assin Central MP, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a former Minister of Agriculture and Mr. Addai-Nimoh, the former Mampong MP.
Certified results announced by a deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission, Dr Serebour Quaicoe, revealed that Dr Bawumia polled 118,210 votes representing 61.47% while his closest contender,. Mr Agyapong polled 71,996 votes representing 37.41%.
Dr. Afriyie Akoto who placed a distant third polled 1,459 votes representing 0.76% while Addai-Nimoh garnered a meagre 731 representing 0.41%.
A total of 192,446 delegates voted in November 4, 2024 presidential primary. The total valid votes were 193,346 with 900 votes rejected with a voter turnout of 94.63%.
Bawumia was predicted from the start to win the presidential primary but he, however, failed to meet the target of 80% set by members of his campaign team.
Several MPs and Ministers threw their support behind Dr Bawumia who was regarded as the establishment’s candidate.
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