The battle lines have been drawn as the race for who wins the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearership in December enters a second and exciting phase.

All 18 are now no longer aspirants but have moved on to become potential candidates when they took turns to pick forms from the party headquarters. It is after the submission of a form, payment of the ¢250million and passing the vetting committee assessment that one can be a candidate. For now all remain potential candidates.

Fired up by zeal and ambition, all the candidates entered the race criss-crossing the length and breadth of the country. They went into the deepest and farthest corners, they saw and some conquered by convincing candidates through the power of speech, facial appeal and promises.

Along the way came what could be classified as baggage of mudslinging, insults through technology-text messages- and accusations and counter accusations.

Though there were several calls from the Chairman of the Party, Mr. Mac Manu and other top party officials for restraint some refused to take heed until the time was up to pick up forms.

But after touring the country to campaign each one would have done their own self assessment and know where they stand on the scale of balances. Some may be amused and grinning from cheek to cheek claiming to hold the trump card while others may admit (secretly though) failure but would hold on to do a trade off when it gets to the dying minutes of the campaign.

With the campaign no longer drabbed in a long seam, patterns have began to emerge to indicate where candidates are drifting to.

Keen watchers of the campaign are convinced that there are about four or five camps trying to shape up before the campaign enters its third and final phase until the d-day of the elections.

The camps are: (1) Nana Akufo-Addo (2) Alan Kyerematen (3) Aliu Mahama (4) Osafo Marfo (5) Dr. Addo Kufuor

But there are some who may be the actual kingmakers. Dan Botwe who was General Secretary and won two general elections and several bye elections certainly is known by almost all the executives who will be voting. They know and are familiar with the affable Dan and Dan the strategist.

Kwabena Agyapong who was Press Secretary to the President has a power of speech and appeals to the youth of the party – a party whose leadership is elderly. Is it now the turn of the youth? Then the chances are that the youth among the executives who, will be voting, will listen to Kwabena Agyapong.

Now that the campaign has begun a second phase the stakes have been raised and the tempo stepped. Leading the pack in whipping up enthusiasm and fired up the competition is Alan Kyerematen. His style of picking the form and launching his campaign was astonishing and sprang a surprise.

The results of Polls (whether real, cooked up or artificial) and comments in the media have added some bite to the competition.

Sunday World will in due course bring the line up in the five camps and a comprehensive report about the campaign and other matters.