Pollster Ben Ephson has said that New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful Kennedy Agyapong blew his chances of leading the party with his behaviour, particularly his public utterances.
According to him, NPP delegates know that Ghanaian swing voters would not vote for Ken in the presidential election because of his lack of “maturity”, so they would not make him the party’s flagbearer.
Ben Epheson, who made these remarks in a Kofi TV interview on Thursday, November 11, 2023, added that Ken Agyapong lost a lot of his supporters when he threatened to have a ‘showdown’ with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, during NPP’s Special Delegates Conference in August 2023.
“You think the delegates are not wise? Many of them would elect a candidate who would appeal to swing voters. On the night he did the showdown thing, I called him and told him that he had cut away 10 percent of his support.
“If people are saying your agent has been locked or attacked what has that got to do with the president and the vice president of the country? Floating voters would want a candidate who can act maturely. This is not maturity; this is somebody who is following his heart,” he said in Twi.
Kennedy Agyapong fired a direct salvo at President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, during the supper delegate congress.
In what can be described as the teaser of the main show or sneak peek into the future of the NPP, an irate Kennedy Agyapong was captured in the full glare of the public sending missiles to the Jubilee House with President Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia being the primary targets.
An outraged Kennedy Agyapong was captured on video protesting the alleged mishandling of his agent at one of the voting centres. Kennedy Agyapong believed that associates of the vice president who was also a candidate in the race carried out the actions, hence his displeasure.
“President Akufo-Addo, I swear God, I will give you a showdown. Vice president, I will give you a showdown. You’ve chased away my agent for him to hide in a room, we shall see. You will hear what will happen. I swear God, I will challenge President Akufo-Addo anytime.”
With Alan out of the way, Kennedy Agyapong now has the chance to give Bawumia a ‘showdown’, directly and President Akufo-Addo an indirect ‘showdown’ – since many have alleged that Akufo-Addo is backing the vice president’s bid to replace him.
Meanwhile, the presidential primaries for the NPP are scheduled for Saturday, November 4, 2023.
Four candidates, including Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central Legislator Kennedy Agyapong, ex-Food and Agriculture Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, and ex-Mampong legislator Francis Addai-Nimoh, would compete to become the party’s presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.
Source: ghanaweb.com
