‘Rejected’ Apraku, Asa B could be NPP’s ‘cornerstone’ – Arthur K

Though rejected by delegates at the party’s recently held super delegates’ congress, the main opposition NPP’s Stephen Asamoah Boateng and Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku could, one day, become the party’s cornerstone, former flagbearer-aspirant Dr Arthur Kennedy has said in consolation.

Former trade Minister Apraku garnered a paltry 1.7 percent of Sunday’s poll in which 740 delegates voted to reduce the number of seven aspirants to five, per the party’s constitution.

The former cabinet Minister in the Kufuor administration was expected by election watchers to put up a better performance, since he was among 17 people who had a shot at the slot in 2007.

His colleague former Information Minister in the same administration, Stephen Asamoah Boateng could also only manage a negligible 1.3 percent of votes cast.

They fell by the road side in the competition after becoming the bottom of the seven.

Dr Kennedy, who was one of the 17 contestants in 2007 and had just one vote in that competition, consoled the two-failed aspirants in a statement saying: “I urge Hon. Asamoah Boateng and Dr. Apraku to stay strong and engaged. Sometimes, the stone the builders rejected would end up becoming the cornerstone of the building”.

The party will go for a mega congress on October 18 at which event 141,000 delegates will elect one of the final five.