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01.09.2014 NPP

Akufo-Addo's resounding victory implies NPP means business - Owusu-Ankomah

By MyJoyOnline
Akufo-Addo's resounding victory implies NPP means business - Owusu-Ankomah
01.09.2014 LISTEN

A New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart has interpreted last Sunday's “resounding victory” for Nana Akufo-Addo in the Special Delegates' Congress to mean the party knows what it wants.

Papa Owusu Ankomah, NPP Member of Parliament for Sekondi in the Western Region, says Akufo-Addo's  victory “was meant to send a message: to tell the world that this party means business and, to some extent, the party is impatient. It wants to focus on the presidential campaign”.

He said party faithfuls are unwilling to tolerate any form of contest that they believe will unnecessarily dissipate the energies of the party members.

Last Sunday's polls to prune the seven flabearer aspirants to five knocked out Mr. Stephen Asamoah, a former Information Minister, who polled 13 votes and former Trade Minister, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, who polled 10 votes.

This means they will not take part in a National Delegates Congress on October 18 to select a presidential candidate for general elections in 2016.

With Nana Akufo-Addo obtaining more than 80% of over 700 votes casts, there have been calls on the four candidates to step down and rally behind the two-time presidential candidate.

New Patriotic Party executives in China, Nigeria and Italy have called on former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremanten, second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Ghartey, former Minister of State, MPs, Kofi Osei Ameyaw and Francis Addai Nimoh to step down ahead of the Delegates Congress in October.

But so far it is only Joe Ghartey who has heeded the call and stepped down from the race.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah says the rest can follow in the footsteps of the Joe Ghartey or hold on to their rights to contest in the October 18 elections.

“It's a personal decision that each one should take”, he said.

His expectation is that if the rest of the candidates fail to step down before  the October polls, the percentage of votes Nana Akufo-Addo would receive would even surpass that of last Sunday.

Chairman of the NPP legal committee Mike Oquaye however says “in strict constitutional terms, there should be and there will be a contest because that is what our supreme law provides”.

He said the decision for candidates not to contest in October rests squarely on the candidates alone.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | George Nyavor | [email protected]

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