The flagbearership of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is up for grabs in the November presidential primary, with nominations opening on Friday, May 26, 2023 and closing on June 24, 2023.
NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong said a timetable approved by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Council at meetings held on Monday, April 3, 2023, indicated that the National Congress, where the party nominee is officially elected, would be held on November 4, 2023.
Prospective Candidates
So far, five names, which have emerged either officially or unofficially as potential candidates for flagbearer, are Vice President Dr. Bawumia, Alan Kyerematen, Kennedy Agyapong, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, and Kwabena Agyapong.
Political observers are not hoping for a replay of the 2008 spectacle, in which up to 17 people vied for the position of flagbearer.
If this occurs, the party has scheduled a Special Electoral College Election for August 26, 2023 to prune down the number of representatives to two for the main congress.
Campaign Narratives
Already, the emerging narrative among the supporters of Mr. Kyerematen is that it is “his turn,” having waited for former President Kufuor’s turn in 1996 and 2000, as well as President Akufo-Addo’s turn from 2008 to date.
Mr. Kyerematen’s supporters believe that their idol’s interest, participation in earlier contests, and long-standing history of association with the NPP makes it his turn now.
But the camp of the Vice President also believes that Dr. Bawumia is the rightful candidate to lead the NPP to victory in the upcoming general election based on the history of the party dating back to the pre-independence era till the formation of the New Patriotic Party in 1992.
Supporters of Dr. Bawumia have argued that the man’s vision for the NPP’s future is undoubtedly impressive, and that his claim to the party’s flagbearer position is not only based on his own merits, but also rooted in the historical traditions of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia political ideology.
The contentions are indications of the heating up of the 2024 election season which has formally opened.
Parliamentary
On the parliamentary front, the statement said the party would open nominations in orphan constituencies on June 16, 2023 and close on July 14, 2023, with elections expected to come off from August 1 to December 2, 2023.
Orphan constituencies refer to areas where the party lost the 2020 parliamentary elections to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and, therefore, has no sitting Members of Parliament.
Constituencies with Sitting MPs
In constituencies with sitting MPs, the party is expected to open nominations on December 20, 2023 and close nominations January 4, 2024, with the elections scheduled for February 24, 2024.
“The National Council further barred National, Regional, Constituency Party Executives and MMDCEs from contesting in constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament,” the statement indicated.
According to the statement, the party has also approved detailed rules and regulations to govern the conduct of both the presidential and parliamentary primaries which would be made available to the public in due course.
By Ernest Kofi Adu