Flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has stated that the party needs a radical leadership approach ahead of the 2024 general election if it wants to “Break the 8.”
According to him, the poor state of the party’s finances does not augur well going into the 2024 elections.
Dr. Afriyie Akoto asserted that if the party does not put measures in place to overcome the monetary challenges its leadership is grappling with, it will spell doom for the NPP going into the elections next year.
In an interview with the Ghanaian Times newspaper on August 14, 2023, ahead of the special delegates conference, Dr. Afriyie Akoto disclosed that some of the party’s executives are disappointed due to the financial constraints.
“The party has a long tradition stretching for over 70 years in the state that cannot be relied upon to deliver the elections next year if nothing is done about it.
It needs a radical shake, leadership is weak, financially the party is down and it is affecting the front-line executives as the expectations of their welfare have been disappointed with this low morale, I don’t think one can go into next year,” the Ghanaian Times Newspaper quoted him as having said.
The former minister of Food and Agriculture indicated that the country’s over-dependence on cocoa as a major source of revenue is worrying, hence he will focus on other crops that will help to raise income if elected as president of Ghana.
“We have the potential, we have been relying on cocoa for the past 130 years as our major experience revenue, there are more crops to bring, more but we have been ignored. This is my vision for the party and the country.
“In 2021, agriculture sector growth went up by 8.4 percent and that has never happened like that before, we have expanded the sector to about 1.7 million farmers who have benefitted from this,” he said according to the Ghanaian Times newspaper.
Backround
10 people would be contesting in the NPP presidential primaries which are slated for August and November 2023.
A super delegate conference would be held in August 2023 to reduce the number of contenders to five while the main primaries would be held in November 2023 to choose the party’s presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.
The ten candidates include Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; a former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen; Kwadwo Poku, an energy expert; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey; a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto; a former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong; MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; a former MP for Offinso North, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku; and a former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko.