The former Minister for Railway Development, Joe Ghartey, has prophesised on the upcoming super-delegates congress of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), saying he would be selected among the best five candidates for the November 4, 2023 National Delegates Congress.
Out of the ten aspirants, who have filed their nominations, the five times Member of Parliament for Essikado/Ketan was the last to submit his forms on Saturday, June 24, 2023, the closing day.
He mounted a podium at the NPP Asylum Down Headquarters to address the enthusiastic crowd, who were not deterred by the bad weather, but kept chanting his name, with little space for him to speak.
“When we went to file, they told us that we were the last to file, and I reminded them of the popular saying that the first shall be last and the last shall be the first,” he declared.
NO NOISE
Announcing to his supporters that he had successfully filed his nomination, Mr. Ghartey said he would pull a surprise at the contest with a quiet campaign aimed at reaching voters in their respective homes.
In his brief address last Saturday, he stated that his manifesto, which would be released later, would detail his vision for Ghana.
Switching between English, Ga, and Twi, he said his campaign would enter homes to preach the good news, reaching out to the 900 delegates who are to vote at the Super-Delegates’ Congress.
Joe Ghartey was optimistic that regardless he would be among the first five people to be elected at the August Special Congress, from where he would extend his campaign to the 200,000 delegates, ahead of the November presidential primary.
“Less than 1% of the 200,000 [people] are going to vote [in the super delegates congress], so whether I am first or second, third or fourth, or fifth in this special delegates’ congress, I have an announcement to make that when we come to the 200,000 people [on] November 4, the NPP shall be declaring Joe Ghartey as the flag bearer,” he stated with confidence.
IMPACT
The former Attorney General told the story of his encounters with party faithful in Wa and Jirapa, where the two reminded him of the good he had done for them, which he had even forgotten about.
On the premises of the NPP Headquarters, a supporter was heard testifying to his accessibility, indicating that Big Joe, as some called him, personally called on the phone and always returned calls.
Several people also testified about his kind nature, while others mentioned that he was accessible to all and treats everyone equally, stating that he “would be indeed The People’s President.”
“It is not about what you can get. It is about what you can do for people. It is about blessing people, and God will bless you. The Bible says that when a blessed leader rules, the people are blessed, so I am saying it again: if it is God’s will, I will be President of Ghana;
if it is not God’s will, I will not be President of Ghana, because I will not use my own will to be President of Ghana to become a burden on myself and the people of Ghana,” he remarked.
However, the former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament added swiftly that no hindrance whatsoever convinced him that God had not willed for him to be President.
He remarked that everything that had happened to him since he joined the party in 1992 – his contributions and touring across the country- fortified his conviction that he had “been prepared” for this time.
According to him, the country was at a critical point, where it needed “a man such as me” to transform its fortunes on the foundation of the NPP government.
Amidst loud cheers from the crowd, some of which had traveled across the country to Asylum Down, Joe Ghartey assured them that together, the country would be transformed.
NOMINATION CLOSED
The NPP opened nomination for its presidential primary on May 26, 2023, and closed filing of it last Saturday.
Those who filed nominations are: Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central; Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a former General Secretary of the NPP; Mr. Kwadwo Poku, an Energy expert; Mr. Alan Kyerematen, a former Trade and Industry Minister; and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
The rest are: Mr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a former Food and Agriculture Minister; Mr. Boakye Agyarko, a former Energy Minister; Mr. Edward Addai-Nimo, a former MP for Asante Mampong; and Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, an Economist.
The Party has scheduled August 26 for its Special Elections and November 4 for the National Conference to elect a flagbearer for the 2024 general election.
