President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says his only interest is to see the New Patriotic Party (NPP) retain power in 2024 and has no preference for who becomes the presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.
He said his primary interest was to hand over to another NPP president after his tenure, stressing that he would do all he could to ensure victory for the NPP and the flag bearer who would be elected to lead the party.
Speaking on NANDOM FM in the Upper West Region, President Akufo-Addo said he would be neutral in the whole process.
The radio engagement formed part of his tour of the region.
President Akufo-Addo also said what the party needed now was somebody who could unite the party to confront the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and beat the party in the 2024 elections.
“… Somebody who will have the capacity to unite our party and put it in a position to confront the traditional opponent, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and beat the NDC,” he stressed.
My vote
President Akufo-Addo said the only time he would show his preference was when it would be time for him to cast his vote during the election to choose the next flag bearer and since his vote was his secret, he would exercise that right.
“The only time that preference will be shown is when I go to vote, but until then I have no preference.
“My attitude is a simple one — just create the condition for a fair process, one that after the completion of the internal elections will enable us to unite the party.
“That’s my aim. I will do whatever I can to assist the new leadership of the party to organise the process in such a way that is fair so that whoever wins or loses will accept defeat.
“From that basis, we will bring the party together and present a formidable force,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Interested persons
By the 2024 election, President Akufo-Addo will be ending his two four-year term and, thus, there will be the need for the NPP to elect a new flag bearer for that general election.
Even before the nominations are open for the selection of the next flag bearer, a number of the leading personalities in the party have expressed interest in becoming the next candidate to lead the party in the presidential election.
Among the list are Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; the Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan J. Kyeremanteng; the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto; former Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko; former General Secretary of the party, Kwabena Agyepong, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, as well as the MP for Essikado-Ketan Constituency and former Minister of Railways, Joe Ghartey.
Also, a former NPP Member of Parliament for the Mampong Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Francis Addai-Nimoh, has expressed interest to contest for the flagbearership.
