The former energy minister Boakye Agyarko has said he is ready for the run-off to decide the final slot for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential contest in November.
The former MP Francis Addai-Nimoh and Agyarko, had nine votes each (0.98%) in the first round of vote on Saturday (26 August), leaving them to contend for the fifth position in a run-off on 2 September. The aim of the first primary was to whittle down the number of candidates from 10 to five.
Media reports on Monday suggested that Agyarko had thrown in the towel to save the party another election, however, he issued a statement denying the news.
“My attention has been drawn to some false claims and reports that, I, Boakye Agyarko has withdrawn from the NPP presidential primaries,” the statement read.
“I have not made any such pronouncements with anyone or any media house. I am ready for the upcoming run-off schedule for Saturday 2 September 2023,” he added.
Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia took a giant step towards becoming the presidential candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) by securing a landslide victory in the just-ended special electoral college.
Certified results declared by the Electoral Commission show that Bawumia won 629 votes, representing 68.15% of the total valid votes across the 17 centres, to top the pack.