In a bid to foster unity and strengthen their party, the four aspirants vying for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer position have signed a landmark undertaking not to resign from the party should they lose in the upcoming primary election. This significant decision was reached during a meeting held between the National Council of Elders and the aspirants, as they prepare for the crucial primary scheduled for this Saturday.
At the press conference following the meeting, Justin Frimpong Koduah, the General Secretary of the NPP, announced the commitment made by the aspirants. He stated that not only have they pledged not to resign, but they have also agreed to accept the results of the primary, and to prioritize the best interests of the party.
“We were able to get all the four aspirants to sign an undertaking and in summary, they are to accept the primary results, and promote peace and cohesion,” Koduah said. “If they don’t win, they will not resign from the party and, support the winner of the primary.”
Furthermore, the candidates have committed to “ensure and enforce mechanisms that have been established by the party and also work within the timelines and duration that have been established by the party from now till the results are declared and to respect the decision of the delegates of our party.”
The Chairman of the Council of Elders, who initiated the meeting, expressed concern about the division within the party, attributing it to personal interests that have overshadowed the party’s unity. He emphasized that the race for the flagbearer position has led to passionate debates and internal disagreements, both within the party and among supporters of the presidential candidates.
In light of these challenges, he called upon all presidential aspirants to set aside divisiveness and prioritize unity and solidarity within the party, irrespective of the outcome of Saturday’s presidential primary.
The NPP will, on Saturday, November 4, 2023, elect its flagbearer for the December 2024 general elections. From 2007 and for the last 16 years, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been the leader of the NPP. On Saturday, the party will have the opportunity to elect not only its flagbearer for the 2024 presidential elections but also a new leader to take over from President Akufo-Addo.
Four individuals are aspiring for the position: first, the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; second, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Minister of Food and Agriculture; third, Kennedy Agyapong, the sitting member of Parliament for Assin Central in the Central Region; and lastly, Francis Addai Nimoh, a former member of Parliament for Mampong Constituency in the Ashanti Region.
