Former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has called for a level playing field in the lead-up to the New Patriotic Party‘s (NPP) presidential primaries.
He expressed concern that one of the aspirants, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is receiving support from government and party officials ahead of the November 4 elections.
In Professor Frimpong-Boateng’s opinion, this support indicates a weakness on the part of the Vice President. He argues that without the backing of these officials, Dr. Bawumia would struggle to win any elections.
“He is most vulnerable and has more baggage than any of the aspirants. If you are strong we leave him to compete on a level-playing grounds.
“But if government or party appointees are whipped in line to toe that line, it shows that he is weak and he needs that kind of support,” he stated in a yet-to-be-aired interview with TV3.
The NPP is set to select its flagbearer for the 2024 general elections on November 4, 2023.
Other contenders in the race include Assin Central Lawmaker Kennedy Agyapong, former Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie, and former Member of Parliament for Mampong, Francis Addai-Nimoh.
The NPP’s Presidential Elections Committee has released guidelines for the primaries, which will take place in all 276 constituencies across the country and at the Party Headquarters in Accra.
The guidelines outline the procedures and rules for selecting the party’s presidential candidate for the 2024 general election.
The committee emphasized that the Electoral Commission (EC) would supervise the elections to ensure transparency and fairness, and no individual, whether a party official or otherwise, should act contrary to the EC and the guidelines.
The guidelines also stipulate that security activities are the responsibility of the police, with access to the voting area restricted to delegates, Presidential Elections Committee members, contestants, and their accredited agents.
