Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong, Secretary-General, National Democratic Party (NDP) has indicated that Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, founder of the party, may not be the party’s flagbearer in the 2024 Presidential election.
He stated that the NDP was not set on making Mrs. Rawlings the flagbearer because she formed the party.
Alhaji Frimpong said other members have expressed interest in leading the party and they would be given the chance to compete and lead the NDP if they won.
“The discussions that we are holding on the ground will at the end of the day generate who will best fit into our process.
“We have our founder who happens to be Dr Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings but sometimes we generate the discussion and people are tuned up to who they think must be a leader.
“She might not necessarily come as the flagbearer at all. We are not fixated on her as the flagbearer,” he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.
Aside from the issue of competition, Alhaji Frimpong stated that Mrs. Rawlings may not be the flagbearer since she has shown little enthusiasm in leading the party into the December election.
Furthermore, discussions on the party’s various forums do not support Mrs. Rawlings’ election or nomination as the party’s flagbearer in upcoming elections.
Alhaji Frimpong also said that the former First Lady nearly lost her attempt to lead the party in the 2020 elections, indicating that members want a new face to oversee the party’s affairs.
“It may not be her because she has not pitched her interest above the discuss on the ground.
“In 2020 she nearly missed out, you know, but finally the discussion ticked in her favour, so this time around if I look at the tempo of what is going on, it is more than likely that she might even not be the one,” he said.
The General-Secretary told the GNA that Ghanaians would know who would lead the party into the 2024 elections by the end of the first quarter of the year.
He said the party expects to complete internal elections in March so it may begin selecting its flagbearer.
Speaking about some of the measures the party is putting in place to enable it to compete in the elections, Alhaji Frimpong stated that the party was currently organizing elections in regions and constituencies to select executives who would help manage the party’s activities at those levels.
“We are preparing for regional congresses …They must elect their executives and so on and so forth. When they finish, they will go into the constituencies and organize elections there as well.”
Alhaji Frimpong stated that if those internal elections are properly conducted, the party would be able to choose the best candidates to run in the parliamentary election on its ticket.
He said the exercise had been sluggish owing to insufficient resources, but the party was doing everything necessary to secure funds to complete the process on time and proceed to elect its flagbearer.
He urged Ghanaians to make decisions based on strong leadership, not political affiliations, and biases.
GNA
KAS
11 Jan. 2024
Caption: Picture attached
