The former parliamentary hopeful for Kpone Katamanso, Hopeson Adorye, has warned the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against any attempt to suspend any member of the party for statements made during the campaign for its presidential primaries.
According to him, the party’s leadership is mute when its Members of Parliament and some regional executives are declaring their support for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and attacking other presidential hopefuls, but they are now threatening to disqualify and suspend people for fighting back.
Speaking in an interview on Atinka TV on Tuesday, Adorye accused the party’s national executives of being selective in the handling of issues surrounding the primaries, adding that the party leadership can’t disqualify any of the candidates in the upcoming elections.
“You can’t scare anybody. We are in this country… You think we are here to joke. If you want us to fight, we will fight. I’m saying that if they want us to fight, we will fight.
“You think we are just going to sit down? Nobody is going to cheat us. We’re unperturbed about your threats to disqualify people; nobody can threaten us,” he said in Twi.
Hopeson Adorye, a former National Security operative, added, “the system cannot impose anybody on us. The grassroots are going to select the candidate for the party. We are not afraid of anybody,”.
Ten people would be contesting 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.
