One of the leading contestants ahead of the New Patriotic Party Saturday’s November 4 Presidential Primaries is the maverick politician and Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
The Assin Central Member of Parliament declared his intention to contest the New Patriotic Party Presidential primaries and ultimately lead the party as its flagbearer for the 2024 general elections on Monday, May 16 2023.
He popularized his vision in an abbreviated word ‘PHD’ which stands for patriotism, honesty and discipline. Mr Agyapong defined his principle of governance as a practical approach rather than a theoretical approach.
According to him, he believes these principles, if embraced, can lead to significant positive changes in Ghana within his first 100 days as President.
He thus aims to instil these values in the Ghanaian people to enhance their service to the nation when elected as flagbearer and ultimately the President of Ghana.
The New Patriotic Party, Presidential Aspirant, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong declared his ambitions to transform the five northern regions of the country through agriculture to address the high unemployment rate in the country and underdevelopment in the northern part of the country.
Speaking to a group of supporters and delegates during his tour in the Northern Region on October 24 2023, the Assin Central legislator expressed his regret about the inadequate investment in the northern part of the country by successive governments despite the presence of vast, fertile lands.
He strongly asserted that the vast and fertile land in the northern part of Ghana could be used for mechanized farming and agro-processing initiatives, which he believed could invigorate economic activities and create numerous job opportunities for the people in the region.
He thus pledged to employ innovative agricultural practices and stressed his commitment to honest and patriotic leadership that would lead to transformative development for the country.
Again, Mr Agyapong has lamented on the alarming unemployment despite abundant resources of the country and posited that when elected President of Ghana, he will effectively address the unemployment rate in the county as he has demonstrated in his business life for employing over 7,000 individuals nationwide.
Furthermore, the maverick politician has highlighted the tourism potential of Ghana’s historic castles and forts, particularly those linked to the slave trade and colonialism, which he aims to leverage to boost tourism and generate income for the country.
Kennedy Agyapong In A Horse Race With Dr Bawumia
It is undoubtedly clear that Saturday’s November 4 Presidential Election of the New Patriotic Party is a fierce contest between the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the Assin Central lawmaker, Kennedy Agyapong.
The series of events leading to the National Delegates Conference on Saturday, November 4 2023 allude to the fact that the presidential race is between the duo.
Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante, a Political Sciences lecturer at the Department of Political Science University of Ghana has indicated that the remaining two candidate’s aspirants in the New Patriotic Party’s presidential race barely have any chance of winning against either the Vice President or the Assin Central lawmaker.
A poll, conducted by the Centre for Sustainable African Development Initiatives (C-SADI) in the UK and the Outcomes International in Ghana has predicted that Dr. Bawumia has a commanding lead over his rivals, with 80.8% of the support of delegates.
According to the polls, Mr Kennedy Agyapong is projected to come in second place with 10.4% of the vote, followed by Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto (1.1%) and Francis Addai-Nimoh (0.4%). 7.3% of delegates are still undecided.
However, a survey conducted by Global Info Analytics predicted a possible run-off between Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is considered the front-runner in the presidential race and the Assin Central legislator, Kennedy Agyapong who has shown significant gains in support.
The survey, conducted with 4,311 NPP delegates from all 275 constituencies between October 2nd and 11th, showed Dr Bawumia leading with 43.5 per cent support while in very astonishing events, the maverick politician managed to rally substantial support, securing 23.5 per cent of delegates’ backing in the last few months.
On the other hand, the question is who among the two leading candidates in the New Patriotic Party Presidential race can cause upset against the National Democratic Congress flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama in the 2024 general elections?
Some leading members of the National Democratic Congress have stated that though the party is not afraid of whoever the NPP will elect as its flagbearer for the 2024 general elections it fears the Assin Central lawmaker than the Vice President due to the former’s unconventional style of politicking.
Notwithstanding, the assertion of some members of the opposition National Democratic Congress, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is the candidate that can give the National Democratic Congress and its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama a tough contest in the 2024 general elections.
In conclusion, even though the Assin Central lawmaker is not likely to win the New Patriotic Party’s Saturday presidential primaries, he can trouble the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, hence he cannot be underestimated due to his ability to rally support among the young people in the party.
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