Five more presidential hopefuls of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have filed their nomination papers to contest the presidential primaries of the party slated tentatively for December 6, 2014.
As at the 5 p.m. closing time yesterday, the last day for filing, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Mr Joe Ghartey, Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw and Stephen Asamoah Boateng had filed their nomination papers.
Per the party’s rules of engagement, a special delegates congress will be organised to whittle down the number to five aspirants. Already, Mr John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen and Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh have filed their nominations.
Nana Akufo-Addo
There was near pandemonium at the Asylum Down headquarters of the party when Nana Akufo-Addo, the 2008 and 2012 Presidential Candidate of the party, arrived to file his nominations.
The party supporters defied the scorching sun and engaged in drumming and dancing till his arrival together with his running mate for 2008 and 2012 elections, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia.
All attempts by the party security personnel to control the crowd proved futile as party supporters who had invaded the place scrambled to reach the conference hall where the filing was taking place.
The press had to strain their ears to catch what the General Secretary , Mr Kwabena Agyepong, and Nana Akufo-Addo were saying as the supporters kept chanting slogans and would not heed any call to stop the appellations being heaped on the presidential hopeful.
Nana Akufo-Addo said the New Patriotic Party was battle-ready to replace the “incompetent National Democratic Congress” and put in place a government that would deliver on good governance and rapid economic development.
He said the NPP had competent men and women and a plan to reconstruct the economy of the country that was experiencing downward slide into recession and bring hope to the suffering population.
Nana Akufo-Addo assured the crowd that the NPP was coming back to power to continue with the good work of President J. A Kufuor to move the country forward.
The presidential hopeful spoke in English , Twi, Ga and French, to deafening cheers of “Nana, save Ghana’’ and “No Nana, no vote”.
Apraku
Dr Konadu Apraku , who was the first to file his papers at 10 a.m., called on Ghanaians to reject the National Democratic Congress government since it had bankrupted the economy of the country.
“While I am humbled and deeply worried by the numerous intractable and pressing problems facing our nation today, I am equally confident of our nation’s future prospects,” he told the media.
“My only motivation for being in this contest is my strong belief that I will win power for the NPP in 2016 and manage the affairs of our country with a great deal of competence, experience, enlightened and visionary leadership,’’ he added.
Joe Ghartey
Mr Joe Ghartey said he was going to undertake a clean and decorous campaign that would help raise the image of the party as a credible alternative to wrest power from the NDC.
He said it was the NPP party that selected him from 4,000 lawyers to become a Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice and he would do what it would take to bring the party back to power.
He said since the NPP tradition originated at Saltpond in the late ’40s, the party had sown the seeds of
