A 2024 flagbearer hopeful of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has reemphasised his tenacity for the party’s November 4 presidential primary. His comments come on the back of speculations indicating he will relinquish the contest for the Vice President.
According to him, he would rather contest the poll and advocate for support for whoever emerges winner at the primary than to step down. The speculations became rife after one key candidate in the contest, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, pulled out of the race.
Mr. Kyerematen cited intimidation of his agents as well as skewing the election in favour of one particular candidate as part of his reasons for pulling out of the race. He said he will announce the role he will be playing in Ghana’s politics soon amid rumours of contesting as an independent candidate and forming a political party.
Alan’s decision generated rumours of Mr. Agyapong who is also the Member of Parliament for Assin Central resigning for the Vice President to undergo popular acclamation. In a viral video cited by OnuaOnline on social media, Ken Agyapong said he is not considering a pullout from the exercise.
“I’m not going to step down for anybody. Let’s all contest, if you win, you win, then we’ll have to come together,” he said. He, however, cautioned that coming together will be dependent on how the November 4 primary goes, looking at how unfairly some of them were treated in the special delegates’ conference on August 26.
“But coming together will depend on how we conduct this November 4 election. Because the way they treated us all on the 26th [August], I don’t think it’s nice,” he complained. The New Patriotic Party will have their presidential primary on November 4, 2023. This follows a special delegates’ conference held on August 26 to prune the then 10 aspirants to five as per the party’s constitution.
The final five who made the cut for the election are Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Ken Agyapong, Alan John Kyerematen, Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie and Francis AddaI-Nimoh after Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko stepped out of a run-off contest between him and the latter.
Meanwhile, Alan Kyerematen has pulled out of the race.
By: Felix Anim-Appau
