President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged the leadership of the governing New Patriotic Party and all other interested individuals and groups to ensure that the party’s upcoming presidential primaries is conducted in decency.
In that regard, he pledged his preparedness to support anyone who would emerge victorious after the contest.
The President made the call during a meeting with the Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan constituency, Joe Ghartey, when the latter paid a courtesy call on him to officially announce his intention to contest in the presidential primaries.
Having wished the candidate well in the upcoming NPP’s flagbearership race, President Nana Akufo-Addo acknowledged the role Mr Ghartey had played as Minister as well as MP for a strategic constituency.
Response
Mr Joe Ghartey thanked the President for the confidence reposed in him during his first term of office when he found him worthy to serve as the Minister of Railways Development.
The potential flagbearer aspirant assured the President that he and his team would conduct themselves with decency during the campaign for the coveted position.
He also promised to work very hard for the party to retain power beyond the 2024 general elections.
In making that commitment, Mr Ghartey made it clear that he would not condone any divisive tendency or ill will on the part of any member of his campaign team.
“We have enough lessons to learn in staying united in nailing the NDC in 2024,” he stressed, expressing gratitude to the President for taking the time out of his busy schedule to meet with him.
He also wished the President and the government well as the Executive tackles the multiple challenges facing the nation.
Presidential primaries
The National Council of the NPP has tentatively decided that the party will hold its primaries to elect its flagbearer for the December 2024 presidential elections in November 2023.
The Council is also said to be considering the conduct of its parliamentary primaries to elect parliamentary candidates for constituencies where it has sitting Members of Parliament in January 2024.
The National Council reached these timelines at its meeting held on December 23, 2022.
On “orphan constituencies” (parliamentary seats occupied by the opposition), the National Council meeting could not decide on specific timelines. However, the majority of primaries to elect parliamentary candidates for such constituencies are expected to take place in April and May 2023.
Ahead of the National Council meeting, some NPP Members of Parliament had advocated for the party’s presidential and parliamentary (sitting MPs) primaries to take place at the same time.
However, the National Council is said to have suggested that the presidential primaries should take place in November 2023, 13 months before the 2024 elections, while the parliamentary primaries for sitting MPs take place in January 2024, 11 months before the general elections.
