Five people have picked nomination forms to contest for the flagbearer position of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) in the 2020 general election.
The National Secretary of the party, Paa Kow Ackon has disclosed and stated that the founder and two-time presidential candidate, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, would not be contesting due to his ill health.
He mentioned that the current aspirants are Dr Francis Obeng, a physician, Mr F.T. Adjei, a private legal practitioner, William Dowokpor, management consultant.
The rest are George Nana Boadi, mechanical engineer and Brigitte Dzogbenuku, an entrepreneur and former running mate to Dr Nduom, would be going through a stiff contest for the party’s presidential candidate slot.
He added that the PPP would elect a credible personality who would be fit for the flagbearer position at the end of the day.
Speaking to Ghanaian Times in an interview yesterday in Accra, Paa Ackon said Dr Nduom has been in the United States receiving treatment.
He asserted that the condition of the Dr Nduom may have followed the revocation of licence to operate his bank, GN Bank, stressing that, he believed the revocation was a deliberate attempt by the government to cripple Dr Nduom’s business interest.
“I can say for now that Dr Nduom is not too well so he will not be able to pick a form and file. But should anybody tell me because Dr Nduom is not contesting is going to affect the party chances in the December elections, I will say no.
The party has come a long way, it was formed in 2012 and participated in the 2012 elections and participated for the second time in the 2016 elections and in all these two elections, the PPP came third,” he said.
Paa Ackon said the PPP was the only party that during its last two elections, had a massive increment of votes by over hundred per cent.
“It tells you that the party is growing and in the 2020 elections whoever we elect as the party flagbearer, the party will make sure the person will improve upon what Dr Nduom as flagbearer did in the last two elections.
The machinery which helped Dr Nduom to score those grades would be made extremely available to our flagbearer to ensure that the party performed better in the 2020 elections,” he said.
Paa Ackon said the fact that Dr Nduom would this time around not be the flagbearer of the party does not mean he would not be there to support whoever was elected.
He noted that Dr Nduom had shown interest and commitment to fully support the party in the 2020 elections, stressing that PPP has become more organised to impact positively in the upcoming elections.
In other development, Mr William Dowokpor, an aspiring presidential candidate of the party has already filed nomination papers at the party headquarters in Accra.
BY BERNARD BENGHAN
