National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Stephen Ayesu Ntim, has expressed confidence in the four candidates vying for the flag bearer slot of the party.
The Chairman says anyone among the four candidates who will be voted by the party can defeat John Dramani Mahama, the presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) “hands down”.
His comment comes on the back of assertions that none of the four candidates aspiring for the flag bearer slot is strong enough to compete the candidature of John Mahama in 2024.
Mr. Ayesu Ntim made the comments when asked by journalists at the headquarters of the New Patriotic Party in Accra Saturday, November 4, 2023, during their presidential primary.
“Let’s wait till the end of this process you’ll know who is going to stand for the NPP and now they are going to compare that person with John Mahama but even from the onset, I can answer that our candidate, whoever we select, will beat John Mahama hands down in 2024,” he indicated.
Over 200,000 delegates have been vested with the power to elect the party’s flagbearer for the 2024 presidential elections.
Approximately 204,144 delegates from across the globe – majority based in Ghana though – will elect the party’s candidate.
Member of Parliament for Assin Central Constituency Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former MP for Kwadaso and until recently the Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto and former MP for Mampong Francis Addai-Nimoh are the four aspirants vying for the enviable position.
It will be the first time in nearly 16 years that the ruling party will choose a new face into a major election. The party has kept faith with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo since he won the 2007 primaries at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana.
His perennial contender Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, who served in his government as Minister of Trade and Industry from 2017 till 2023, withdrew from the Saturday’s race after complaining of intimidation of his supporters and partiality in the Super Delegates Conference to form his new movement.
He resigned from the party in a press conference on Monday, September 25 and subsequently announced his decision to contest the 2024 elections as an independent candidate.
Another candidate, Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, who was joint fifth with Mr Addai-Nimoh in the August 26 elections, also withdrew from the race after the National Council decided to vote to separate them.
He described as unconstitutional the National Council’s decision to determine the fifth candidate.
The separate outcomes of the two’s decision have left four candidates to contest for the single slot of NPP flagbearer.
The four were on Thursday, November 2 made to sign an undertaking to remain with the party without recourse to the outcome of the primaries. This was after a crucial meeting with the Council of Elders in the presence of President Akufo-Addo.
A total of 277 polling centers will be mounted across the country for the primaries.
The exercise is scheduled to start at 7:00am and end at 3:00pm.
The police have assured the general public that sufficient security measures will be put in place to maintain law and order as well as ensure peace and security before, during and after the exercise.
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