The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has held balloting for its flagbearer hopefuls ahead of the delegates conference on November 4.
At the end of the balloting held in Accra on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, Kennedy Agyapong picked the first slot followed by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who picked the second slot.
Former Minister for Agriculture Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto picked the third slot while former MP for Mampong, Francis Addai Nimo picked the fourth slot.
The balloting was conducted by the party’s national election committee. The NPP is expected to hold its national delegates conference on November 4 to elect its flagbearer for the 2024 general elections.
The party is currently in a four-horse race, with Ken Agyapong, Dr Bawumia, and Dr Akoto being the main contenders. Alan Kyeremateng pulled out of the race after the Special Delegates Conference.
Ken Agyapong, who is a popular NPP Member of Parliament for Assin Central, has been a vocal critic of the government and has promised to bring about change if he is elected flagbearer.
Dr. Bawumia is the current vice president and is seen as the frontrunner in the race. He is seen as a safe pair of hands and is popular among the party’s intellectuals.
Dr. Akoto is a former minister of agriculture and is seen as a technocrat.
The NPP is the ruling party in Ghana and has been in power since 2017. The party is hoping to win a third term in office in the 2024 general elections.
The NPP is facing a strong challenge from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The NDC is led by former president John Mahama and is hoping to return to power in 2024.
The 2024 general elections are expected to be a closely contested race. The NPP and the NDC are the two main contenders.