<\/p>\n
Energy Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has subtly endorsed Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as suitable candidate to lead the New Patriotic Party(NPP) into the 2024 elections.<\/p>\n
The Minister wished for a Bawumia against Mahama contest during the Presidential elections, noting it will be\u00a0an interesting competition.<\/p>\n
Potential Candidates<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Though it is almost one year for the yet-to-be announced NPP presidential primary, the race for the ticket keeps getting keener.<\/p>\n Last month, a new face joined\u00a0the fray of interested presidential aspirants.<\/p>\n Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a former Press Secretary to former President John Agyekum Kufuor from 2001 to 2006, former General Secretary of the NPP and one of 17 aspirants who contested for the party\u2019s nomination to replace former Presidential Kufuor as presidential candidate for the 2008 general election, announced his intention to put his name up for consideration by delegates.\u00a0<\/p>\n His announcement followed on the heels of Kennedy Agyapong’s declaration to contest the NPP flagbearership race.<\/p>\n Front-runners<\/strong><\/p>\n At the moment, the front-runners for the slot are Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and the Minister of Trade and Industry (MOTI), Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen.<\/p>\n Also in the running are the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, and a former Minister of Energy, Mr Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko.<\/p>\n Historic Polls in 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n The 2024 elections will mark another historic moment in Ghana’s politics; it will be\u00a0the second time a former President will be contesting the Presidential seat against a new candidate from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).<\/p>\n It is obvious that Ex-President John Dramani Mahama will lead the NDC into the next Presidential elections but who leads the NPP remains unknown until the party holds its primaries next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Why Napo Opted For Bawumia<\/strong><\/p>\n But ahead of the primaries, the Energy Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly called “Napo”,\u00a0seems\u00a0to have made his pick for the best person to give the NPP victory in 2024.<\/p>\n Speaking in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on\u00a0Peace FM’s\u00a0<\/strong>“Kokrokoo” programme, he strongly believed former President John\u00a0Mahama will be no match for Dr. Bawumia, stressing the latter will have an upperhand.<\/p>\n He noted 2024 will be a battle of records.<\/p>\n “I will be very glad to have the Head of Economic Management Team, Bawumia compete with Mr Mahama. If you’re from the North, I’m from the North, after the North to North; we then get to the Zongo to say I am a Muslim, you are not a Muslim. Then we get to when you were a Vice President, a Committee was set up to investigate corruption but none of that has been recorded under this Vice President; from there we move to you were gifted a car but this one doesn’t have that record. <\/em><\/p>\n “From there, we go to BBC interview; you said you can’t define corruption but this one says he can define it. Then we move to the purchase of a plane, this person didn’t buy one but you did…Lest I forget, last one, a President that recorded four years of dumsor against someone who has no such record,”<\/em>\u00a0he teased the former President John Mahama.<\/p>\n He concluded that “2024 will be interesting”.<\/em><\/p>\n