Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has urged delegates of the NPP to use his “track-record” as former Agriculture Minister as basis for his election as flagbearer of the Party.

“During the six years of my service in the Akufo-Addo government, we laid the foundations, both in terms of programmes, in terms of legislation, in terms of intellectual capacity, and all that, to build an agriculture sector, which will provide the finances, both foreign and local, to finance our industrial development, to finance our education, to finance our health, to finance our infrastructure, including motorways, farm trucks, and all that requirements that we need to make a good country,” he said.

Dr Akoto said this when he filed his nomination forms on Monday, June 19, 2024, to contest the Presidential primary of the NPP on November 4.

He was accompanied by some former regional chairmen of the Party including Mr Alfred Boye, a former Greater Accra Regional Chairman and Mr Kenwood Nuworsi, a former Volta Regional Chairman

Dr Akoto, a former Food and Agriculture Minister for six years under the Akufo-Addo-led government, is seeking to lead the Party as its flagbearer in the 2024 general election.

The former Minister reiterated his promise to leverage the potential of the agricultural sector to turn the economic fortunes of the country around.

He said the agricultural sector had great potential to address the country’s economic challenges and reduce its reliance on foreign support such as the International Monetary Fund and therefore, urged delegates of the NPP to vote for him to lead the Party into the 2024 general election and ultimately, President of the country.

“I can assure you, the same way I was able to bring agriculture to the frontline of policy discussion, it will be the same way that agriculture will be used to take us out of the clutches of IMF, because the agricultural sector in this country has great potential, and we haven’t even scratched the surface of it,” he said.

He added that: “I’m appealing to you that when the time comes, vote for Owusu Afriyie Akoto. He will get this party great again and we’ll also turn things around to ensure that this country becomes prosperous.”

The NPP, on Friday, May 26, opened nominations for the election of its presidential candidate for the 2024 general election.

The exercise is expected to end on Saturday, May 24, 2024.

Already, five out of the 11 presidential hopefuls who picked up forms to contest the primary have filed their nominations forms.

They include Alan Kyerematen, former Trade and Industry Minister, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr Afriyie Akoto, former Food and Agriculture Minister and Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, an Economist.