In his speech after losing the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer race to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Saturday, November 4, 2023, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong did not only tag the election process as free and fair but also promised to join the campaign to get the Vice President elected as president in 2024.
This however may not be the case as pronouncements by the campaign team of the Assin Central Member of Parliament seems to suggest otherwise.
Lawyer Ralph Agyapong, a brother and campaign spokesperson of Kennedy Agyapong has hinted that the flagbearer hopeful may as well be looking beyond the 2024 presidential campaign and may not engage in the Bawumia presidential campaign.
According to Ralph, the MP based on events preceeding the November 4, election will be better off staying away from the Bawmia campaign.
“You know people like Adomako Baafi and that boy called Miracles Aboagye have the effrontery to be on TV and say that Ken has overrated himself while speaking for the vice president… This same Miracles Aboagye has never worked any job before, his survival is based on politics.
“Then you finish and you want to put the likes of Miracles Aboagye and Adomako Baafi on a platform with Ken to campaign? You are the same people who claimed he destroys campaigns,” he stated in an interview on Peace FM on Monday, November 6, 2023.
Asked if his statement meant a categorical boycott of the Bawumia campaign, Ralph Agyapong failed to give a definitive answer saying “He (Kennedy) is thinking about himself; he is part of the party and has not left the party but he’s thinking about himself… We will move on and see what we will do in 2028.”
In a subsequent interview with Okay FM, Ralph was asked whether an approach had been made for Ken to partner Bawumia as his running mate.
“No one has approached him, …the same party leaders you are referring to are the ones who canvassed people to support the vice president claiming Ken’s utterances are destroying the party.
“For someone whose utterances are destroying the party, he will end up ruining your election if he becomes your running mate. So allow him to sit somewhere and think about himself,” he told Kwame Nkrumah Tikese.
On Saturday, Dr Bawumia polled some 61.47% of total votes cast by nearly 200,000 delegates of the NPP to emerge victor in the party’s flagbearer contest.
His closest contender, Ken Agyapong polled some 37.41%.
Speaking at an event to declare the vice president winner on Saturday night, Ken Agyapong promised to support Dr Bawumia’s campaign for the presidency.
“This is the only thing I’ve been preaching, and I must admit this election is fair and my grassroots have spoken; therefore, I accept the results in good faith,” Mr Agyapong said moments after the results was announced.
He pledged his support to the flagbearer-elect to help defeat the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and “break the eight.”
“So, party members we should put everything behind us and let’s unite this party…, I believe we can break the eight and that’s what I’ve been preaching,” he added.