Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has dismissed reports suggesting his endorsement of a candidate as the next New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer.
The office of the former President has stated media reportage suggesting he has endorsed Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s candidacy, against the other aspiring candidates is misconstrued.
This comes on the back of a Fathers’ Day soiree held at the Peduase Valley Resort where both personalities were present.
President Kufuor, during the event, spoke highly of Dr Bawumia and said he has always been close to the latter and treated him like a true son.
But a press statement signed by Senior Aide & Spokesman for Mr Kufuor, Dr Kwabena Osei-Adubofour, explained there was nothing political about his remarks or even the occasion.
“President Kufuor wants people to know that the other much-talked-about prospective NPP flagbearership candidates like John Alan Kyerematen, Boakye Agyarko, Joe Ghartey and Dr Owusu Afrivie Akoto all have close relationships with him.
“Of course, Dr Akoto is his younger brother. The former President believes that any of those mentioned, when selected by the party to be the flagbearer, would be able to discharge the work of the flagbearer very firmly and effectively,” the statement read.
It added: “In the upcoming NPP flagbearership race, in order to achieve party unity and sustain it thereafter for victory of the party in the 2024 elections, what President Kufuor expects from the party and political hierarchies are fair and un-engineered systems and processes that would lead to a fair selection of our next NPP flagbearer.”
The statement cautioned the process should be devoid of coercion and machinations so that the eventual selected nominee will come out of the uncompromised free will of the voting.
“Delegates can easily command the support and respect of all party faithful, and indeed, other Ghanaians sympathetic to our cause, towards breaking the eight,” it admonished.
