Continue to fear delegates - Akufo-Addo to losers in NPP primaries

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has reminded the 42 Members of Parliament as well as other members of the NPP who lost in their recently held primaries, to never forget the saying that delegates must always be feared.

According to the president who made the call after he and his vice, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia were acclaimed as flagbearer and running mate of the party ahead of the December 2020 election, those who lost in the party’s primary should always reflect on a saying by its Former General Secretary, Kojo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John) and be reminded that politics is a contest that comes with losing sometimes.

“As always happens during elections, there were losers. Many of these people are important personalities in our party and are playing critical roles in parliament, as are all the others. But those of us in politics know that these things happen. We know that to use the words of our one-time General Secretary, we must continue to fear delegates,” the president said to some laughter from members of the National Council and the National Executive Committee during the event.

The president using himself as an example stated that, losing an election does not translate into the end of one’s political career and urged all party members to get over disappointments that emerged from the primaries, in order to jump on board for the party’s campaign ahead of the December polls.

“Losing one election cannot and does not mean the end of your political career, I am a living example. I urge all of us to get over our disappointments quickly and unite to go before the country. This is the message I gave to the 42 Members of Parliament who lost, when I invited them to meet with me on Thursday at the Jubilee House……… we have a good story to tell and we should go out to tell it,” the president said.

On Saturday, June 20, 2020, the New Patriotic Party held parliamentary primaries in over a hundred constituencies. After the election, some 42 MPs representing the party in parliament as well as other big names lost their bid to contest on the party’s ticket in the December general elections.

A week after, the party has held an event at the Alisa hotel to acclaim President Nana Akufo-Addo, who was the only person to file presidential nominations when they were opened, as the presidential candidate of the NPP for December 2020.

The event which was supposed to be held as a National Congress was held in the presence of only the National Council and the National Executive Committee of the party due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in line with social distancing protocols.