We want a healthy competition - NPP Council of Elders tells Bawumia, Alan, Agyapong, others

Chairman of the Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hackman Owusu-Agyemang has cautioned the party's presidential aspirants to conduct their campaign void of insults.

Speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', he explained how the Council of Elders is meeting the various aspirants to ensure a smooth internal election.

"We want a healthy competition; nothing more than that," he said.

The party is expected to elect one of the nine as its presidential candidate for the 2024 election.

Nominations for the presidential primary opened on May 26 and is expected to end on June 24, 2023.

Meanwhile, he has described as 'most unfortunate' the level of monetization in politics.

10 Aspirants

As of Thursday, 1st June, Boakye Agyarko, a former Energy Minister; Francis Addai Nimoh, the former MP for Mampong in the Ashanti Region; Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, the former General Secretary of the NPP; Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, an Economist and former Minister for Regional Co-operation; and Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, have acquired forms to partake in the presidential primary.

The others are the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; Kojo Poku, an Energy Expert; Alan Kyerematen, the former Minister of Trade and Industry; Kennedy Agyapong, the sitting MP for Assin Central in the Central Region; and Joe Ghartey, the former Minister of Railways Development and sitting Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan in the Western Region.

Meanwhile, the party’s parliamentary primaries are scheduled for February next year.