Dr. Afriyie Akoto picks nomination forms on May 29

A flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, will pick up his nomination forms today at the party’s Head Office in Asylum Down to begin the process of filing to contest the Presidential Primary of the UP Tradition.

Persons familiar with the campaign activities of Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said the exercise will be done by a group of party faithful called Friends of Dr. Afriyie Akoto.

“This group strongly believes in Dr. Afriyie Akoto and has therefore mobilized their own resources to support him. They keep urging Dr. Afriyie Akoto to contest the flagbearer position to save the party. So, they will pick the nomination forms today and go and hand it over to Dr. Afriyie Akoto at his Campaign Office. This is to urge him on,” Benjamin Oduro who is familiar with the campaign activities of Dr. Afriyie Akoto hinted.

Should the exercise go on as planned, picking nomination forms by Dr. Afriyie Akoto will bring to five the number of flagbearer hopefuls who have picked the forms to contest the party’s Presidential Primary.

When nominations opened on Friday, May 26, 2023, a former Trade and Industry Minister, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, former MP for Mampong constituency, Kofi Addae Nimoh, former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko and former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, picked their nomination form to signal their readiness for the contest.

It is however not clear when the MP for Essikado Ketan, Joe Ghartey, former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will pick their nomination forms.

All have publicly announced their intentions to contest the party’s Presidential Primary.

On Thursday, May 25, 2023, the General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong, announced the roadmap to the party’s Presidential Primary.

In a statement released in Accra, opening of nominations was fixed for Friday, May 26, 2023, while nominations close on June 24, 2023.

The party scheduled Saturday, August 26, 2023, as a day for its Special Electoral College Election if the candidates for its Presidential Primary exceed five.

It also scheduled Saturday, November 4, 2023, to hold its National Congress to elect a flagbearer for the 2024 general elections.