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Joe Ghartey, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, Kofi Konadu Apraku and Kwadwo Poku have failed to garner enough votes to qualify for the next phase of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential race.
A run-off will, however, be held on Saturday, September 2, to decide the fate of Addai-Nimoh and Boakye Agyarko after both presidential aspirants secured nine votes in the Special Delegates Conference.
The four aspirants who have failed to make it to the next stage were among the 10 who contested the super delegates conference on Saturday, August 26, 2023.
The conference was held to elect five presidential aspirants to contest the party’s primaries on November 4.
The four aspirants who qualified for the primaries are:
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President
Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central
Alan Kyerematen, former Trade Minister
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Agriculture minister
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia won the super delegates conference with a total of 629 votes, representing 68.15% of the vote.
Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong came in second with 132 votes, or 14.30% while former Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen placed third with 95 votes, or 10.29%.
The results mean that Kennedy Agyapong has qualified for the NPP’s presidential primaries in November, along with Bawumia.
This is the first time that either of the two men has run for the presidency. Kyerematen has been in the race since 2007 but has never been able to secure the party’s nomination.
The November primaries will be a major test for Bawumia and Agyapong. They will need to win the support of over 200,000 delegates from across the country in order to become the NPP’s flagbearer.
The winner of the primaries will then face off against the opposition National Democratic Congress’s John Dramani Mahama in the December 2024 general election.
Bawumia’s victory is seen as a major boost for his presidential ambitions. He is the incumbent vice president and is seen as a safe pair of hands by many party members.
Agyapong’s surprise second-place finish is a major upset. He is a controversial figure, but he is also a popular one. He is known for his outspokenness and his willingness to challenge the status quo.
