The decision by the National Executive Council (NEC), the highest decision-making body in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday, to peg the party’s presidential contesting fee at Ghc85,000 (850 million old cedis) has angered some of the flag-bearer aspirants.

Today sources said presidential aspirants including Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Addae Nimoh, Joe Ghartey and Stephen Asamoa Boateng, who are seriously lacing their shoes to contest the twice-defeated flag-bearer of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in the forthcoming national delegates’ congress, are “unhappy” with NEC’s approval of such a huge fee.

Consequently, these contenders see it as a move by NEC to prevent them from contesting to lead the party in 2016.

The party on Saturday June 6, 2014 opened nominations for its flag-bearership contest.

The decision was taken at a NEC meeting held in Accra, which laid down the process for early congress to cut short the growing bickering among supporters of aspirants – which is seemingly getting out of hand.

“We are shocked to hear that our NEC has agreed to put the cost of the forms at Ghc10,000 – the equivalent of 100 million (old cedis) while filing fee is Ghc75,000 – the equivalent of 750 million (old cedis). The total amount is therefore Ghc85,000.00 or 850 million old cedis,)” some of the contenders told Today.

In their opinion, the fees could have equally been rejected by NEC, lamenting that looking at the financial conditions of members of the party, NEC should be the last body to approve such a whopping fee [Ghc85,000].

So far, less than 10 members of the NPP have, in one way or the other, shown interest in contesting the position of flag-bearer to lead the party in the 2016 General Elections.

They include twice-defeated standard bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and the man he had defeated twice, Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten.

Their names are high on the cards as the two main contenders.

Others are the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Offinso-North, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, who headed the security committee for Nana Addo’s campaign in the 2012 elections; his colleague former MP for Mfantseman West, Stephen Asamoa-Boateng, popularly known as Asabee, and the MP for Asuogyaman, Kofi Osei Ameyaw.

The rest are sitting Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey; his colleague MP for Subin, Isaac Osei; Mampong MP, Francis Addai Nimo; Nhyiaeso MP, Dr. Richard Anane, and; celebrated heart surgeon, Professor Dr. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng.