The nomination period for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential primaries was concluded last Saturday.
Ten of the eleven candidates for flagbearer filed their nominations during the process, which began on Friday, May 26, 2023, in an effort to lead the party in the general election of 2024.
Joe Ghartey, a former member of parliament (MP) for Essikado-Ketan in the Western Region and former minister of justice and attorney general, was the 10th and final candidate to submit his nominations on Saturday. Francis Addai-Nimoh, a former member of parliament (MP) for Mampong in the Ashanti Region, was the ninth candidate to do so on Friday.
Aspirants
Others who filed their papers to contest the flagbearership during the month-long exercise were Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; a former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen; a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Owusu Afriyie Akoto; the MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, and a former Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko.
The other three are an energy specialist named Enerst Kwadwo Poku, a former minister of state and former MP for Offinso North named Dr. Konadu Apraku, and a former general secretary of the NPP and presidential spokesperson named Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.
Out of the 11 candidates who had chosen and filed their nomination forms at the end of the exercise, this brings the total to ten.
Odeneho Nana Oppong, a former director of transport and logistics at the Presidency, selected the nomination forms but was unable to submit them. He allegedly withdrew from the competition.
Boakye Agyarko, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Joe Ghartey
Filing
Mr Ghartey, who was accompanied by a large group of his supporters, arrived at the party’s headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra last Saturday afternoon to submit his nomination forms for the primary.
The forms were received by the NPP’s Director of Research and Elections, Evans Nimako, a member of the Presidential Elections Committee.
Kwabena Agyepong, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Francis Addai-Nimoh and Kwadwo Poku
Vision
Mr Ghartey, who addressed supporters after the submission of the forms, pledged to focus on fostering economic growth, eradicating corruption and improving the living standards of the citizenry.
The former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Minister of Railways Development said he aimed to revitalise the NPP and provide the youth and party executives with opportunities to serve the country if he emerge victorious as the party’s flag bearer and subsequently elected President in 2024.
Addai-Nimoh
Mr Addai-Nimoh, for his part, expressed confidence in winning the race, saying he was not new in the contest as he placed third in the 2014 presidential primary.
He appealed for a centralised Special Electoral College Congress to short-list the five aspirants for the National Congress.
Vetting
Mr Nimako after the exercise said the next phase of the party’s presidential primary would be the vetting of the 10 aspirants who submitted their nomination forms from July 3 to July 6, 2023.
He said the party would not extend the filing of nominations.
Amendment
The number of aspirants who filed to contest the 2023 flagbearership is the highest number so far as compared to the 2007 presidential primary which 17 aspirants contested in that poll to elect a flag bearer for the 2008 general election.
The party has since amended its Constitution to accommodate not more than five persons for the flagbearership contest.
According to Article 13(9) of the NPP Constitution: “Where there are more than five contestants for nomination as the party’s presidential candidate, a Special Electoral College shall cast their votes by secret ballot for the first five contestants to be short-listed”.
Timelines
Per the timelines of the party, vetting of the presidential aspirants would commence from Monday, July 3 to Thursday, July 6, 2023, with the submission of the vetting committee’s report to national executives through the General Secretary, on Monday, July 10, 2023.
Those who qualified after vetting would go for the National Congress by Special Electoral College (if any) on August 26, 2023, to short-list the five presidential aspirants for the National Congress on Saturday, November 4, 2023, and a runoff (if any) on November 11, 2023.
