The Member of Parliament for Assin Central and a flagbearer aspirant, Kennedy Agyapong graciously accepted his defeat to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia at the Accra Sports Stadium, where Dr Bawumia was officially declared the winner and declared as the party’s new leader and flagbearer for 2024.
In his concessionary address, Mr Agyapong pledged his full support to Dr Bawumia and the entire New Patriotic Party to break the eight-year cycle.
His pledge stems from the transparent and peaceful nature of the election.
“I believe the party has been fair and transparent, and the only thing I have always been preaching is that this election is fair and my grassroots people have spoken. I pledge my support that we are going to work tirelessly to break the eight.”
“So, party members that we are here, we should put everything behind us and let us move this party forward. With unity, I believe we can break the eight,” he told the gathering to loud cheers.
The certified results, announced by a Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission, Siriboe Quaicoe, revealed that Dr Bawumia garnered 118,210 votes, representing 61.47%, while his closest contender, Mr Agyapong, secured 71,996 votes, representing 37.41%.
Dr. Afriyie Akoto, who placed a distant third, polled 1,459 votes, representing 0.76%, while Addai-Nimoh garnered a modest 731 votes, representing 0.41%.
A total of 192,446 delegates participated in Saturday’s presidential primary. The total valid votes were 193,346, with 900 votes rejected, resulting in a turnout of 94.63%.
Dr. Bawumia’s victory was anticipated from the outset, although he fell short of the 80% target set by members of his campaign team.
Numerous MPs and Ministers threw their support behind Dr Bawumia, who is a prominent figure within the NPP.
Dr Bawumia has made history by becoming the first non-Akan to lead the NPP into a general election after serving as the running mate to President Akufo-Addo since 2008.
The 2024 election is expected to be a closely contested one. Both Bawumia and Mahama are formidable candidates, each with their strengths and weaknesses.
The election’s outcome will likely hinge on various factors, including the state of the economy, the candidates’ campaign messages, and voter turnout.
