[ 2021-03-19 ]

Desist from starting race ahead of time - Obiri Boahen to NPP presidential
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has indicated its
readiness to crack the whip on presidential
aspirants who are peaking before the time and
warned that they may be sanctioned if they don't
desist from starting the race ahead of time.
The Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Nana
Obiri Boahen who gave the hint in a radio
interview with Accra based Joy FM said the party
will not hesitate to crack the whip if the need
arise.



However, he said until the said aspirants
formalise and make their intensions openly known,
the party cannot sanction them as some of those
"testing water" moves could be by party supporters
or even non party members who are agitating for
such persons to show interest.

"Once the ban [on internal party politics for
positions] has not been lifted people should
not... people should not steal start," Obiri
Boahen said.

He said the time was not ripe for such a campaign
and therefore those "testing the waters" should
know better.

He however acknowledged that some of the moves
being currently out-doored may not be with the
approval and consent of the said aspirants.



Using himself as an example, he said he sighted a
poster with the inscription, "Nana Obiri Boahen
[for] General Secretary. I have sighted it
yesterday and I don't know the person who did
that, so are you going to suspend Nana Obiri
Boahen?" he questioned.

He said until the aspirants formalise their
intentions ahead of time, that is when the party
can come in to sanction them.

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Even though the race for a replacement for
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the NPP
for the 2024 presidential election is far away,
some names such as Vice President Dr Mahamudu
Bawumia; Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan
Kwadwo Kyerematen; Minister of Food and
Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and former
Minister of Railways Development, Mr Joe Ghartey
have come up.

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In some instances, posters of the said aspirants
have been pasted on walls.

Some leading party members of the NPP have
expressed concern about the development saying
such acts were likely to affect the government's
programme and concentration, considering that the
decision for a replacement will be made in 2023.



Just this week, it has emerged that the Minister
of Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto met with
some party members in Kumasi in what some have
said was in relation to his interest in the
flagbearership.

Dr Afriyie Akoto has however reacted and said
“it is... unfortunate for anyone to seek to
create the impression that I held a meeting to
announce my bid for the flagbearership position of
the party.”

In a press statement, Dr Akoto confirmed meeting
some NPP executives in Kumasi and explained, “I
decided to go to Kumasi and have some rest during
the weekend and try to recover from a fever I was
running after I attended the budget reading in
parliament on Friday 12 March, 2021."

"As a former member of parliament in the region
and as a senior member of this government, I
accepted to grant audience to some party
executives who had been making calls for a meeting
to discuss matters concerning the welfare of the
party. However, such meetings end with an amount
given as a transportation to guests who came from
far and near.”

“I believe in decent political discourse devoid
of insults, lies and mudslinging.”

“I will therefore encourage each and everyone,
including the media, to refrain from acts that
have the tendency to derail the historical gains
made by the government” and ensure continuation
in development," he stated.

Source - Graphic Online

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