Who wears the flag?
Ghana’s ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has settled on 4 November 2023 to hold a presidential primary to choose a flagbearer for the 2024…
Ghana’s ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has settled on 4 November 2023 to hold a presidential primary to choose a flagbearer for the 2024 general elections, according to news site Graphic Online, which cited unnamed sources within the party. Before then, the party will hold a special conference on 26 August if the aspirant pool is large to whittle the number down to a maximum of five. The sources said nominations for the presidential primary would open on 26 May and close on 24 June. For the parliamentary primaries, nominations would open on 20 December 2023 and close on 4 January 2024.
The NPP is preparing for its presidential primary amid growing speculation and competition among its potential candidates. The party, which has been in power since 2017, faces the challenge of finding a successor to President Nana Akufo-Addo, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term. The primary will be a critical test of the party’s unity and popularity ahead of the 2024 general elections. The special conference will comprise various party stakeholders, including national and regional executives, MPs, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), elders, founders, and representatives from special organs and external branches. So far, seven NPP stalwarts have publicly declared their intentions to lead the party in 2024. They are Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, former Minister of Trade and Industry; Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Minister of Food and Agriculture; Boakye Agyarko, former Minister of Energy; Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central; Kwabena Agyepong, former Presidential Spokesperson and General Secretary; Joe Ghartey, former Attorney-General and Essikado-Ketan’s MP; and Francis Addai-Nimoh, the former Mampong MP. However, many observers believe that Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is also a strong contender for the flagbearership, although he has not officially announced a bid. Some party supporters have been campaigning for him covertly or overtly, citing his economic credentials and his appeal to Northern voters. Bawumia has been President Akufo-Addo’s running mate since 2008 and has played a key role in implementing some of the government’s flagship policies. Most political watchers believe his decision to run could reduce the primaries to a two-horse race between him and Alan Kyeremanten. Both candidates have strong credentials and support bases within the party and the general public, but they have their chinks. Dr Bawumia is widely seen as the heir apparent of President Nana Akufo-Addo and credited with being the mastermind behind the NPP’s digital transformation agenda, which has introduced various innovations such as the Ghana Card, mobile money interoperability, digital property addressing system, and universal QR code. He is also regarded as a competent economist who has managed the country’s macroeconomic stability and growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He enjoys popularity among the youth, the Zongo communities, and some sections of the northern regions. Some within the party believe he does not have wide grassroots support and isn’t sufficiently loyal to the NPP’s tradition and ideology. There are also questions about his ability to appeal to the core Ashanti base of the party, which accounts for about 40% of its votes. Moreover, his connection with the current economic turmoil taints his credentials as a good economic steward. Finally, he isn’t seen as muscular enough to go against former President John Dramani Mahama. Mr Kyerematen, on the other hand, is a veteran politician who has previously contested for the NPP’s flagbearership in 2007, 2010, and 2014 and is known for his role in promoting industrialisation, trade, and private sector development in Ghana and Africa. He spearheaded the implementation of the One District One Factory initiative, which aimed to create jobs and boost local production. He also championed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to create a single market for goods and services across the continent. He has a strong following among the party’s grassroots, especially in the Ashanti region, where he hails from. This is not to say that his leadership bid is without challenges. He is seen by some as a perennial loser who has failed to clinch the party’s nomination despite several attempts. Two national polls conducted by Global Info Analytics in July and October 2022 suggest that Bawumia is the preferred choice by NPP voters, followed closely by Kyeremanten. Whoever wins the NPP primaries will come against the NDC, in which John Dramani Mahama seems to have the upper hand over the other contenders. That is not a scenario the NPP would like; Mr Mahama’s vote share among likely voters in 2024 elections is more than Bawumia and Kyerematen combined. The odds stacked against the ruling party is one that’s largely of its own making.