The First Vice Chairman for the Atwima Nwabiagya South Constituency of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Honourable John Kwame Duodu, popularly called ‘Sir John’, has urged delegates of the NPP to choose a compassionate, seasoned, and reliable presidential candidate to help the party win the 2024 general elections.
‘If we want our party to break the eight-year political cycle in 2024, the delegates should take the appropriate action by voting on competency at the upcoming Super Delegates Conference and National Delegates Conference scheduled for August 26 and ‘November 4, 2023, respectively, Sir John stated.
Sir John contends that the mandate of the delegates can change the fortunes of the party come 2024; hence, they should vote for a candidate who can lead the party to victory.
He further counseled all NPP delegates across the country to resist monetary inducements and vote for a candidate they could easily get in touch with after the elections, noting that such monetary inducements to persuade people to cast their ballot in favor of a particular candidate only last for a short time.
“The one who shares money to be voted for would later abandon your concerns after the elections but rather focus on how to recoup the resources invested in the campaign,”, he said. To make an informed choice on election day, he asked the delegates to carefully consider the promises and policy proposals of the candidates.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Searchlight and MyghanaMedia.com, Sir John, who is also the Ashanti Regional TESCON Patron, urged the delegates to also evaluate how appealing each candidate is to the general electorates across the country to determine which one would best assist the party in achieving its objective of breaking the eight-year political cycle.
“I am pleading with our delegates to scrutinize and critically evaluate the ability of each aspirant to win us the presidency in 2024 before making their decisions at both the super delegates and general conferences”.
The Ashanti Regional TESCON Patron intimated that the entire party stands to suffer the consequences of any bad choice the delegates make at the delegate conference, hence his plea to all delegates.
He also emphasized the need for the NPP to field a presidential candidate whom Ghanaians will trust to continue the good works of Nana Addo and the NPP-led government and propel the NPP’s breaking the eight agenda.
‘As a party in power, we need someone Ghanaians will accept as a president in waiting and not just a flagbearer for the NPP’, he opined.
Sir John ended by sending a word of advice to the delegates and their teaming supporters to refrain from any unhealthy campaign that will come back to haunt them ahead of the main contest in 2024.
Sir John therefore advised the delegates to follow the guidelines, listed norms, and regulations regarding the election process.
The Special Electoral College elections, according to the party’s constitution, are to help reduce the current ten presidential aspirants to five.
Subsequently, a presidential candidate will be elected for the party from the remaining five at a national delegate conference, which will take place in November 2023.
*PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS*
The Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahmoudu Bawumia, will face Alan Kyerematen, former Minister of Trade and Industry; Dr. Afriyie Akoto, former Minister of Food and Agriculture; and Boakye Agyako, former Minister of Energy.
Others are Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central in the Central Region; Kwabena Agyapong, former General Secretary of the NPP; Francis Addai-Nimoh, former MP for Mampong Constituency in the Ashanti Region.
The rest are Dr. Konadu Apraku, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, alongside Mr. Ghartey, former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and Kwadwo Poku, a businessman, who are contesting in the upcoming presidential primary to seek a mandate to lead the NPP ahead of the 2024 polls.
