NPP has no viable presidential candidate to present to Ghanaians in 2024

NPP has no viable presidential candidate to present to Ghanaians in 2024

The NPP has long emphasized its claim of having the right people to lead Ghana, but the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government has disappointed in various aspects of governance, such as the economy, corruption, social issues, the environment, and governance.

Back in 2009, when former President Kufuor left office, there were 17 NPP members vying for the presidential candidacy, leading to the creation of the Special Delegates’ Conference and the National Congress in the NPP constitution to choose the flagbearer. In the 2023 NPP Super Delegates Conference, despite a reduction in the number of presidential hopefuls, ten candidates still competed.

As it stands, three of these candidates, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, and Francis Addai Nimo, are set to go to the NPP National Delegates Congress to contend for the flagbearer position, possibly paving the way for Dr. Bawumia as the establishment candidate for 2024.

The withdrawals of Alan Cash and Boakye Agyarko from the ongoing presidential race amid concerns of violence and intimidation during the Special Delegates contest do not bode well for the NPP’s prospects in the 2024 General elections. With Alan Cash out of the race, Dr. Bawumia’s chances of becoming the NPP Flagbearer for 2024 are significantly increased.

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While Kennedy Agyapong surprisingly emerged as the first runner-up in the race, there are reasons why he is not considered suitable for the Ghanaian presidency, as previously outlined in one of my recent publications. Even if he were to secure majority votes from NPP delegates, Ghanaians would likely reject him in the upcoming general elections without the need for prophetic predictions.

Francis Addai-Nimo, who tied with the withdrawn Boakye Agyarko, is not seen as a convincing presidential candidate for Ghana. Looking at the three remaining presidential candidates vying to lead the NPP, it appears that the party lacks a viable contender to present to Ghanaians in 2024.

Should Dr. Bawumia receive the nod from the NPP National Delegates’ Congress in November, he may struggle to compete with the well-prepared, popular, and highly experienced NDC flagbearer, former President Mahama, in 2024. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, Dr. Bawumia’s credibility as an economist in Ghana has suffered due to his conflicting statements on issues like borrowing, the exchange rate of the Ghana Cedi, and the e-levy, both during his time in opposition and in government.

Secondly, Dr. Bawumia has served as Vice President for nearly 8 years and has headed the Economic Management Team, yet Ghana’s economic situation is far from impressive. He shares responsibility for the current economic challenges alongside President Akufo-Addo.

Thirdly, Dr. Bawumia is not the ideal candidate to consolidate any gains made by the Akufo-Addo-led government because there are few tangible gains to speak of.

One must also question how Dr. Bawumia intends to combat the widespread corruption that has persisted under the Akufo-Addo-led government, given his lack of demonstrated commitment to addressing this issue since 2017.