Less than 48 hours to the opening of nominations for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) race to pick a presidential candidate for the 2008 general election, the already crowded list of aspirants has grown taller by one.

Reports reaching DAILY GUIDE indicate that Dr. Barfour Adjei-Barwuah, Ghana’s Ambassador to Japan, is joining the race.

The diplomat, who the paper gathered is already in town to pick a form tomorrow, would be the 18th aspirant to express interest in taking the baton from President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Even though rumours of his joining the race had been lingering for some time now, the paper could not get him for comments.

Before his appointment, H.E. Adjei-Barwuah was the chairman of the United Kingdom/Ireland branch of the NPP.

Known faces already touring various parts of the country include Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Daniel Kwaku Botwe, Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, Yaw Osafo Maafo, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey.

The rest are Dr. Addo Kufuor, Alan ‘Cash’ Kyeremanten, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Arthur Kennedy, Kwabena Agyapong, Nkrabea Effah-Darteh, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Prof. Mike Oquaye and Hackman Owusu-Agyeman.