Boakye Agyarko, a candidate for the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer position, will not participate in the run-off election scheduled for Saturday, September 2, 2023, in order to break the deadlock with Francis Addai-Nimoh, another candidate.
“I refuse to be a part of such an act that seeks to unjustly truncate a previously agreed upon process, and cannot be part of what is about to be done on Saturday, 2nd September 2023. I cannot, with a clear conscience make such an impermissible concession to such an errant decision. I, therefore, respectfully, serve this notice to refrain from such a contest. As always, I wish the party well,” he said in a letter addressed to Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, Chairman of the NPP’s Presidential Elections Committee, dated August 31, 2023.
Last Saturday, the NPP held a super delegates conference to reduce down the list of potential flagbearer candidates from ten to five.
Boakye Agyarko and Francis Addai-Nimoh tied for first place with nine (9) votes apiece in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential election held on Saturday, August 26. The New Patriotic Party announced that a run-off election will be held to determine the winners on Saturday, September 2.
It was decided at a meeting on Wednesday that members of the New Patriotic Party’s National Council would cast ballots for Boakye Agyarko and Francis Addai-Nimoh in the party’s run-off election on September 2 to choose which candidate would represent the party’s flag as its flagbearer.
The party claims that the choice was made to save time and money, and that it will be hosted in its headquarters in Asylum Down, Accra.
However, Mr. Agyarko rejects the new procedure and maintains that it violates the party constitution.
“It is totally unconstitutional that a sub-section (about 135 National Council members) of the Special Electoral College should assume the function on behalf of the 955 delegates who voted in the first round.”
“It is totally unacceptable to me that such an unconstitutional act can be perpetuated on the altar of expediency. Am I to surmise that the party did not know the cost implication? It is unconscionable that the rules of the game will be changed midstream. Rules and regulations that are flip-flopped in such a manner are only detrimental to fair play and justice. It is a clear violation of the party’s constitution and the guidelines for the Special Electoral College. It is an unconstitutional act which I cannot allow myself to be associated with,” he added.
