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A presidential hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has stressed the need for the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) to adopt a forward-looking approach and prioritise the party's unity in conducting the primaries.

He said any perception of favouritism or a lack of a level-playing field in the upcoming primaries could hinder efforts to unite the party against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the general election.

In an interview at his office in Accra, Dr Akoto, therefore, urged the PEC to ensure transparency and fairness in the NPP Presidential Primary scheduled for November 4, 2023.

Fairness
Dr Akoto called for transparency and fairness in the election process, underscoring its pivotal role in preserving the party's unity as it gears up for the 2024 general election.

The former Minister for Food and Agriculture called on the committee to prioritise the party's unity, recognising it as an indispensable factor in conducting the primaries.

Campaign
As the November 4 polls approach, Dr Akoto has intensified his strategic campaign efforts, actively engaging with grass-roots delegates of the party.

He has been conferring with Electoral Area Coordinators and selected Polling Station Executives, integral members of his campaign team.

Covering various regions of Ghana, including Greater Accra, Eastern, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo, Dr Akoto has been presenting his vision for sustainable party-owned businesses.

These tours are envisioned to generate employment opportunities and offer incentives to the party's dedicated activists.

Activists
Dr Akoto emphasised that the party's triumph in the 2024 election was contingent on the indefatigable efforts and devotion of activists of the party.

Drawing on his experience, he called for the election of a leader who understood the challenges of the activists and provided practical solutions to their problems.

He, therefore, called on the delegates to afford him the opportunity to showcase his leadership qualities by electing him on November 4.

Polls
The NPP's National Delegates Conference on November 4, 2023 is poised to witness over 210,000 delegates casting their votes to select the party's presidential candidate for the 2024 general election.

Third on the ballot paper, Dr Akoto previously finished fourth in the NPP's Super Delegates Conference held on August 26, 2023.

PEC
Meanwhile the PEC tasked by the party to conduct the presidential primary with the assitance of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Ghana Police Service has reiterated its commitment to ensure a transparent, free and fair election.

The committee appealed to all aspirants and their agents to co-operate with officials of the EC and the police to ensure a peaceful and successful election.

It stated that to ensure the successful conduct of the polls, the EC was handling the entire electoral process while the police managed the security aspect of the poll.