{"id":43824,"date":"2014-09-01T15:55:46","date_gmt":"2014-09-01T15:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=43824"},"modified":"2014-09-01T19:39:06","modified_gmt":"2014-09-01T19:39:06","slug":"other-3-candidates-must-step-down-for-nana-sir-john","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=43824","title":{"rendered":"Other candidates must step down for Nana – Sir John"},"content":{"rendered":"

The immediate past General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, has told Citi News<\/strong> that he is expecting the remaining three candidates vying for the flagbearership slot opt out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, was optimistic that the NPP will be poised for victory if Nana Addo is maintained as the party’s flagbearer without any contest.<\/p>\n

The NPP on Sunday organized a super delegates congress to select five out of the seven candidates to contest the presidential candidate slot of the party.<\/p>\n

Days before the elections, Owusu Afriyie predicted a landslide victory<\/strong><\/span><\/a> for the two-time presidential candidate of the party Nana Akufo-Addo.<\/p>\n

Nana Addo won the elections by polling about 81% of the votes.<\/p>\n

One of the five candidates who made it onto the list of final five to contest the position, Joe Ghartey, has bowed out of the race.<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Another contender, Francis Addai Nimo, has also said he will make a final decision<\/strong><\/span><\/a> after consultations with his team.<\/p>\n

The NPP\u2019s General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong has served notice the final congress will come off as planned.<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

But Mr. Owusu Afriyie is still hoping the remaining candidates\u00a0\u201cwill see the writing clearly on the wall,\u201d and\u00a0rescind their decision to contest against Nana Addo.<\/p>\n

According to him, their decision should be informed by the calibre of persons who voted on Sunday since they are \u201cthe cr\u00e8me de la cr\u00e8me and they represent a very significant college out there; all MPs, all constituency chairmen, all regional executives, all former executives and so on and so forth.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said it was no surprise that Nana Addo won massively in Sunday\u2019s election because \u201cwe have always had an Akufo-Addo winning, and winning massively.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former NPP General Secretary mentioned that Nana Addo\u2019s victory \u201cis victory for the NPP, it is victory for all of us. This massive win is not about Akufo-Addo, it\u2019s about our party, it\u2019s about the country so I am very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

He told Citi News<\/strong>, despite Sunday\u2019s victory, Akufo-Addo\u2019s camp will not relent on efforts to get another resounding win on October 18.<\/p>\n

He said the second congress \u201cis even more serious,\u201d but he was optimistic that the 140,000 delegates will throw their weight behind Akufo Addo \u201cbecause that is where Akufo Addo\u2019s massive following is from; the grassroot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe [Akufo-Addo] is a grassroot man and so the grassroot love Akufo Addo. They were asking that he should come,\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n

The party will on October 18, head to the polls for the national congress which will see the election of a presidential candidate to lead the NPP into the 2016 general elections.<\/p>\n

The remaining three candidates are Alan Kyeremanten, Osei Ameyaw and Francis Addai Nimo.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By: Efua Idan Osam\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @osamidan<\/a>
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