Mr. Tony Osei-Agyei, the Eastern Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has advised the party’s 10 flagbearer aspirants to conduct their campaigns with decorum to enhance unity among its rank and file.
“Aspirants should do their campaigns devoid of personal attacks and character assassinations so that we can all rally behind whoever is finally selected on November 4, 2023, for victory in 2024,” he said.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Osei-Agyei emphasised the party’s commitment to maintaining unity through peaceful campaigns.
Ten candidates are vying for the presidential slot.
They are Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President, Mr. Joe Ghartey, former Minister of Railways and MP for Esikado-Ketan; Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central; and Mr. Kwabena A. Agyepong, former NPP General Secretary and Mr. Alan Kyerematen, former Trade and Industry Minister.
The rest are Mr. Kwadwo Poku, an Energy Expert; Dr. Kofi K. Apraku, an Economist; and Mr. Owusu A. Akoto, former Minister of Food and Agriculture Mr. Boakye K. Agyarko, former Energy Minister, and Mr. Edward Addai-Nimo, former MP for Asante Mampong.
They had filed their nominations and, therefore, would go through the first internal election process.
The first stage is the Super Delegates Conference, expected to be held on August 26, during which five candidates would be shortlisted.
This stage is purposefully to prune the number to five, paving the way for the final stage, during which the flagbearer would be chosen.
“With the previous experience we had in 2007, where 17 presidential aspirants filed for the position of flagbearer for the party, the national council and the congress decided that we could not contain that number again for general primaries,” Mr. Osei-Agyei said.
He explained that only constituency chairmen, members of Parliament, regional executives, ministers of state, national executives, committee members, national council members, and founding members were eligible to vote at the conference.
In the Eastern Region, he said a total of 81 delegates were recognised to participate in next Saturday’s election.
Meanwhile, the nomination for parliamentary candidates in “orphan” constituencies was closed this month, he said, and that “candidates will be vetted and elections will run until December.”
Mr. Osei-Agyei said two of the 22 candidates from eight orphan constituencies who picked up nomination forms failed to file before the window was closed.
Of the 20 candidates who filed, six were from Ayensuano, four from Asuogyaman, three from Akwatia, two each from Afram Plains North and South, and one each from Yilo Krobo, Lower Manya, and Upper Manya constituencies.
