NPP Finds 5th Presidential Aspirant As Boakye Agyarko Withdraws

The former Parliamentary representative for Mampong Constituency, Francis Addai-Nimoh is now the 5th presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following the withdrawal of his contender, Boakye Agyarko Kyeremateng.

A re-run election was scheduled for this Saturday to break the tie between the two presidential aspirants as the Party failed to get a fifth aspirant in the Super Delegates Conference held on Saturday, August 26, 2023.

Reason
Mr Agyarko’s resignation follows a decision by the National Executive Committee and the National Council to have the rerun vote cast by members of the National Council.

At a press conference on Wednesday, August 30, the General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong announced the decision.

The decision means delegates across the country- who voted last Saturday per the party’s Constitution will not have the opportunity to decide the fate of the two candidates.

Mr Kodua said the election will only take place at the Party’s Headquarters in Accra on Saturday. He said the decision is meant to save the cost involved in conducting the election across the country.

Unconstitutional
Mr Agyarko finds the decision unconstitutional and opposing to the guidelines issued by the Presidential Election Committee of the Party which says that in the event of two, three or four of the aspirants sharing the total results with the remaining contestants not obtaining any votes, there will be a run-off for those who obtained zero votes to add up to make up the five, while in the event of a tie between two or more candidates for the fifth position, a run-off election will be conducted for those who will tie on Saturday, September 2, 2023.

“It is totally unconstitutional that a sub-section (about 135 National Council Members) of Special Electoral College should assume the function of the 955 delegates who voted in the first round,” his letter to the Party’s Election Committee on August 31 said.

He added, “It is a clear violation of the party’s constitution and the guidelines of the Special Electoral College.”

According to him, it is unacceptable because it will erode fair play in the election.

He continued, “I refuse to be part of an act that seeks to unjustly truncate a previously agreed upon process and cannot be part of what is about to be done on Saturday, 2nd September 2023…I therefore respectfully serve this notice to refrain from such a contest.”

Unpopular But Constitutional
The NPP has reacted to the notice rebutting the decision as unconstitutional.

In a social media post, the Director of Communications of the NPP, Richard Ahiagbah said though it is unpopular, it is not ultra vires.

His tweet read, “The decision of the National Council to constitute itself into an electoral college to break the tie is novel and to some extent unpopular, but it is by no means unconstitutional.

“I regret the withdrawal of Mr Agyarko from the race, but I believe that the National Council made a difficult decision in the absence of a superior alternative to promote the interest of the New Patriotic Party. The battle is the Lord’s.”

The decision of the National Council to constitute itself into an electoral college to break the tie is novel and to some extent unpopular, but it is by no means unconstitutional. I regret the withdrawal of Mr. Agyarko from the race, but I believe that the National Council made a…

— Richard Ahiagbah (@RAahiagbah) August 31, 2023

Super Delegates Conference
The NPP undertook its Super Delegates Conference on Saturday, August 26, 2023, to trim down the number of presidential aspirants of the party from 10 to five.

The ten included Mahamudu Bawumia, Ken Agyapong, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Boakye Agyarko, Francis Addai Nimoh, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Joe Ghartey, Kwadwo Poku and Kofi Konadu Apraku.

Out of a total of 923 votes cast across all regions, Mahamudu Bawumia took the lead with 629 votes followed by Ken Agyapong with 132 then Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen with 95 and Owusu Afriyie Akoto with 36 votes.

There was, however a tie for the 5th place between the Boakye Agyarko and Addai-Nimoh.

The hopes of Kwabena Agyei Agyepong (6), Joe Ghartey (4), Kwadwo Poku (3) and Kofi Konadu Apraku (0) have been outrightly dashed.