Odeneho Nana Oppong: Former Jubilee House Transport Officer Enters NPP Flagbearership Race

Odeneho Nana Oppong (aka Candidate 2), a former transport officer at Jubilee House, the seat of Ghana’s presidency, has picked up a nomination form to contest the upcoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primaries, scheduled for 4 November 2023.

Representatives of Nana Oppong secured the nomination form from the NPP party office yesterday (Thursday 8 June).

Nana Oppong, a man who reportedly looks and dresses like President Akufo-Addo as well as wears spectacles similar to those of the president, was sacked by President Akufo-Addo following allegations of his involvement in financial malfeasance.

Although information on his involvement in the crimes was scanty two years ago, he is said to have become involved in a matter that was unacceptable to the president.

At the end of the first week of nomination processes in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for its presidential primaries, fixed for Saturday 4 November 2023, ten aspirants have picked up nomination forms to run for the top slot.

The NPP opened nominations on 26 May and the window for filing is expected to close on Saturday 24 June. All aspirants who sought forms paid a non-refundable nomination fee of GHC50,000.

All individuals who have picked up forms are expected to file completed documents on or before Saturday 24 June 2023. In line with further requirements, they will pay a filing fee of GHC300,000.

Aspirants

As of Thursday 1 June, Boakye Agyarko, the former energy minister, Francis Addai Nimoh, the former MP for Mampong in the Ashanti Region, and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, the former general secretary of the NPP, had acquired forms to stand in the presidential primaries.

So had Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, an economist and former minister for regional co-operation, and Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the immediate past minister of food and agriculture.

The other aspirants (apart from Odeneho Nana Oppong) are Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, Kwadwo Nsafoah Poku, an energy expert, Alan Kyerematen, the former minister of trade and industry, Kennedy Agyapong, the sitting MP for Assin Central in the Central Region, and Joe Ghartey, the former railways development minister and sitting Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan in the Western Region.

Super delegates

At the close of nominations on Saturday 24 June 2023, if all the ten aspirants who have picked up nomination forms go ahead to file, the NPP will hold a super delegates’ conference to trim the number of aspirants to five as required by the party’s constitution.

The NPP has already planned to hold a conference of super delegates on 26 August (a Saturday) if need be.

Under Article 12 (5) (b) of the NPP’s constitution, “where there are more than five contestants for nomination as the party’s presidential candidate, a Special Electoral College (super delegates) shall cast their votes by secret ballot for the first five contestants to be shortlisted”.

The provision goes on to list those who constitute the Special Electoral College. They are “the National Council, the National Executive Committee, the Regional Executive Committees, National Council of Elders and Members of Parliament”.

The rest are “three representatives of each of the special organs of the party, past national officers, three representatives each from every external branch, founding members during the registration of the party at the Electoral Commission and all New Patriotic Party card-bearing ministers when the party is in government”.