Aspirants Urge Fairness In NPP

Two flag-bearer aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Francis Addai Nimoh and Mr John Kwadwo Alan Kyerematen, are asking the leadership of the party to uphold fairness and sanction Members of Parliament (MPs) and officers of the party who flouted the party�s regulations by openly declaring support for Nana Akufo-Addo last Tuesday. Deputy Minority Leader and the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, disclosed at the campaign launch of Nana Akufo-Addo that most MPs supported his candidature for the position of the flag bearer of the party for the 2016 polls. �I cannot count at my finger tips, not more than five MPs who say they are not supporting Nana Akufo-Addo, so I want to tell the other six that this is not their time and must wait," he declared at Akwei�s House at Odododiodoo in Accra. He predicted a landslide victory for Nana Akufo-Addo ahead of the party�s presidential primary on October 18, 2014, saying Nana Akufo-Addo, who is the number one contender in the flag-bearer race, is the "people's choice". His endorsement comes after the leadership of the NPP barred MPs from publicly supporting candidates vying for the flag-bearer position. Flag-bearer aspirants Seven aspirants have successfully filed their nominations and gone through vetting to be considered for the position of the flag bearer of the NPP for the 2016 elections. The aspirants are the 2008 and the 2012 presidential candidate of the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; former ministers Mr John Alan Kwadjo Kyerematen, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, and Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng; the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Essikado-Ketan, Mr Joe Ghartey; MP for Mampong, Mr Francis Addai Nimoh; and MP for Assuogyaman, Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw. More MPs declare support At Nana Akufo-Addo�s campaign launch, over 100 MPs openly declared their support for his candidature. Some of them are the Deputy Minority Leader, Tema West MP, Irene Naa Torshie Add; MP for Old Tafo, Dr Akoto Osei; and MP for Sowutuom/Anyaa, Mrs Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, who openly campaigned during the official launch. That singular action ruffled the feathers of some of the contestants, including Mr Addai-Nimoh and Mr Kyerematen. Even though Mr Nimoh and an aide, Mr Philip Longdon, and the spokesperson for Mr Kyerematen, Nana Ohene Ntow, said they were not perturbed by the declaration, they advised the leadership of the party to ensure discipline within the party and work to protect its unity.