The NPP will be going into the 2024 election as an incumbent having been in power for 8 years.

Historically, all incumbent parties since the inception of the 4th Republic have found it very difficult to win subsequent elections after 2 terms not least because of the challenges they tend to face with the economy.

Another contributing factor is that most Ghanaian people normally are fed up with their government after 8 years and seek change.

The NPP will therefore need a grand strategy going into the 2024 campaign, and this will involve among other things, presenting to the Ghanaian voters a flag bearer who represents the needs of the electorate irrespective of their political affinity.

If we are to achieve our much-touted dream of breaking the 8, the party needs to ask pertinent and thought-provoking questions, the answers to which, should guide it in selecting the right candidate for the flagbearership.

During the national delegates conference, the delegates will be looking for a candidate who can attract overwhelming grassroot support within the party. Such a candidate will reduce apartheid within the grassroot which has until now been a major cause of an incumbent party’s defeat.

The responsibilities of the delegates are arduous as they will also need to consider a myriad of issues when appointing a flagbearer.

Firstly, the candidate must have a broad mass appeal that goes beyond the party and over a wider spectrum of the Ghanaian populace.

As of 2020, the youth (15-24 years of age) made up 18.64% of the population. It is therefore imperative that any viable candidate should capture the support of the youth.

Finally, and above all else, the delegate should be looking for someone whom the party can present to the voters as a catalyst for change. One can anticipate that the need for change is going to be a central theme of the NDC’s campaign. Who can be a brighter beacon for change other than Hon Kennedy Agyapong?

Among all the leading candidates, Hon, Kennedy Agyapong ticks all the boxes above. Kennedy already has the greatest support among the NPP grassroot. He is liked and adored by large factions within the party, and his electrifying presence at rallies, conferences, and events emboldens the crowd into a frenzied excitement. All recent polls place him above the leading candidates when it comes to trust.

Beyond the NPP, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong polls better against Former President John Mahama than the other NPP candidates. One out of every three people interviewed by the alliance for social media platforms said they did not intend to vote in 2024, however, if Hon. Kennedy Agyapong is the flagbearer, they will reconsider their decision.

Clearly, this is a candidate who can shatter voter apathy. Hon. Kennedy has the broadest support outside the NPP, and his greatest asset is the fact that a large section of the Ghanaian voters accept that he is honest, courageous, and patriotic.

When it comes to the crucial issue of change, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong will be the greatest tool the NPP can use to defeat the NDC in 2024. None of the other candidates realistically represent the change that voters will be seeking, as they have all been deeply involved in the current administration.

Hon. Kennedy Agyapong has made pledges about employment, security, etc and the people have and will believe it because he has done it before. Loathe him or love him, the public generally believes that he doesn’t lie, an attribute that many believe is sadly lacking in a number of current politicians.

Of course, there are other counter arguments against him, but I firmly believe that with the whole NPP campaign machinery behind him, he will easily defeat Former President Mahama.

Given what is at stake, there are absolutely zero margins for error in selecting the right candidate to lead the NPP to victory in 2024, therefore calls for ‘aduro me su’ are irrelevant.

Hon. Ken is the people’s choice as the polls suggest. Let the delegates be attuned to the will of the people and let us learn from the mistakes of the past.