Alan Kyerematen and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia
• Ben Ephson says the NPP contest is between Dr Bawumia and Alan Kyerematen
• He indicated that there are six candidates are likely to contest for the flagbearer race
• Ephson said some of the candidates will ‘mix the soup up’
Ben Ephson, the Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, has said, the governing flagbearer race is between the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the Trade Minister, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen.
According to him, the remaining personalities who have made their intentions known thus Boakye Agyarko, Joe Ghartey and Kennedy Ohene Agyapong will only “mix the soup up”.
Ben Ephson was analyzing the chances of the candidates who will be vying for the NPP flagbearer position on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana.
He told Paul Adom Otchere that, there are six individuals who are likely to contest for the NPP flagbearer race; namely: Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Alan Kyerematen, Boakye Agyarko, Kennedy Agyapong, Joe Ghartey and Afriyie Akoto.
“I think that, [the contest] is going to be between the two top [candidates]; Bawumia and Kyerematen. Agyarko and Kennedy will mix the soup up,” Ben Ephson said.
The pollster explained that, “Alan and Bawumia are the key but you have two or three mixing the soup. Kennedy Agyapong, Boakye Agyarko and Joe Ghartey.
“I think they will be collecting more votes from Alan Kyerematen. If you put up the three other candidates I have mentioned and collectively they have a total of 30%. If they have that amount of votes, I believe that 20% will come from Alan’s basket of votes.”
As the NPP prepares to break the eight-year political cycle, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated categorically that he has no clear favourite within the candidates vying for the flagbearer race of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He has rather promised to ensure a fair and level playing field for all NPP members that have the ambition to lead the party as a presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election so as to help protect the unity, peace and progress of the party.
He also said the eventual successor as NPP flagbearer would have his unalloyed support to break the eight years jinx which the ruling NPP has christened ‘Breaking the 8’.
Furthermore, he also promised to allow the party’s rank and file across the country and even beyond, who he said are the real owners of the NPP, to freely elect their favourite candidates to lead the NPP during the December 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
“I don’t have any clear favourite within the NPP family to succeed me as President after I have duly completed my second term and left political office; in fact, I will work to ensure a level-playing field for all NPP members that want to become president,” the President said on Pure FM in Kumasi.
Many stalwarts of the party have started lacing their boots to lead the NPP in 2024 when the President completes his second and final term.
Notable among them are his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen, Agric Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Railway Development Minister Joe Ghartey, former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko, former Minister Kofi Konadu Aparku among others who are rumoured to be planning to enter the contest.