The basis on which a presidential candidate would be elected to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to retain power in the party’s upcoming primaries ahead of the 2024 general elections is intellect, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has said.

Dr. Akoto, the flagbearer hopeful of the NPP, opined that the flagbearership contest to determine who leads the party is not a “beauty pageant,” as has been the notion of many Ghanaians.

Having resigned recently as the Minister of Food and Agriculture to pursue his presidential ambition, he will face stiff opposition from other aspirants such as the immediate past Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremanten, MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyepong, who have all declared their intention to contest the position.

Vice President Dr. Bawumia, a former Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko, and other figures within the rank and file of the party are all expected to join the race, although they have yet to officially announce their bids.

With the aforementioned names, there are notions in the public space that some of the aspirants are past their young ages for Ghanaians to repose their trust in them because past presidents were at some points old, but to Dr. Akoto, the assertion is totally “irrelevant” to be subscribed to.

“…Listen, let me tell you, everybody has challenges; how old was John Mahama when elected President? He was in his 50s, right…, and we all can attest to his performance. He led us into ‘dumsor’, so that belief is irrelevant,” he highlighted on the Anopa Bofo morning show.

According to the former agriculture minister, leadership is all about competence, for which reason he believes the intellect of aspirants would be keenly considered in measuring the capabilities of one who drives the NPP to the promised land in 2024 as they seek to break the eight-year cycle.

He contended that “when they see me, they see that I’m more youthful than them… It’s not about handsomeness!! Look, it is not a beauty contest; it is a contest of the brain,” Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto established.

He backed his argument with the adage “age is just a number,” where he noted that the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, when elected into office was aged 79.

He concluded with conviction that he stands tall for victory because he has been extremely successful as minister for the Agric sector which has paved the way for at least some 3.1 million farmers nationwide to trust him.