A hopeful contender for the flagbearer position in the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has urged the party's 961 super delegates to place their trust in him by casting their votesin his favor.

0

His aim is to secure a spot among the top five candidates who will be shortlisted for the critical showdown on November 4.

1

In his pre-election message directed at the super delegates ahead of the upcoming polls on August 26, 2023, Dr. Akoto expressed the timeliness of the moment for the party's key decision-makers to express their support for him.

2

He highlighted his substantial contributions to the party's progress and called for acknowledgment of his efforts.

3

Dr. Akoto emphasized his visionary outlook for both the party and the nation. He underlined his capacity to rejuvenate the UP tradition and foster its growth, eradicating the hardships faced by party activists.

4

His proposal involves establishing commercial enterprises to generate revenue, thereby funding the party's operations at all levels and simultaneously creating employment opportunities for the jobless.

5

“I am appealing to you, the super delegates, to vote for me. When you vote for me, I have envisioned two things to do; one for the party and the other for the country. All of us are aware of what happened in the 2016 general elections. In the Presidential, our then candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo beat the then incumbent President John Mahama with over 900,000 votes. But when we went to the 2020 general elections when everyone was expecting a wider margin between these two presidential candidates, the over 900,000 votes was cut down to a little over 500,000. We nearly lost the parliamentary majority seats. We are now pegged at 137 with the Independent Parliamentary candidate, Amoako Asiamah, declaring to do business with the NPP for us to become the Majority Group”, he noted.

6

He added “these happenings tell us that all was not well largely because our grassroots were abandoned. When you talk to them, almost everyone is complaining. This makes breaking the eight-year governance cycle very difficult, hence, my decision to contest for the flagbearer position to turn things around. So, I am appealing to you once again to show me some love and vote massively for me. I will ensure to work hard to reform the party for all to enjoy”, he underscored.

7

Dr. Akoto pledged a significant role for both women and youth in his prospective government, both within the NPP and across Ghana as a whole.

8

The flagbearer race within the governing New Patriotic Party features a total of 10 aspirants.

9

Among them are notable figures such as Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Minister of Energy Mr. Boakye Agyarko, former NPP General Secretary and presidential spokesperson Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mampong Mr. Francis Addai-Nimo, and former Minister of Trade and Industry Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku.

10

The selection process involves a Special Delegates Congress on August 26, 2023, where five candidates will be chosen to proceed to the next stage.

11

This selected group will then compete for the coveted flagbearer position on November 4, 2023, ultimately determining the party's leadership for the 2024 general election.

12

13