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With five days for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to elect its standard bearer for the 2016 elections, the three shortlisted presidential hopefuls are rounding off their campaigns, each of them full of confidence that the over 140,000 delegates will eventually endorse his candidature. The leading candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who garnered 80.81 per cent of the votes in the party�s Special Electoral College on August 31, 2014; Mr John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, who got 7.9 per cent, and the new kid on the block, Francis Addai-Nimoh, the MP for Asante Mampong, who had 2.9 per cent, are fiercely contesting to become the flag bearer of the party for the 2016 presidential election. Nana Akufo-Addo, the two-time presidential candidate of the party, and Mr Kyerematen, the twice attempted presidential aspirant, have seen it all when it comes to NPP politics, while Mr Addai-Nimoh is in a historic campaign, daring the established names and faces to become the party�s flag bearer. The three candidates are all banking their hopes on the delegates, who were described by the party�s immediate past General Secretary, Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, as �more fearful than ghosts� when he lost his re-election bid. There is, however, evidence of high expectation within the camps of the three aspirants, who are all hoping to do exceedingly well at the presidential primary on Saturday. Akufo-Addo�s message to delegates In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, Nana Akufo-Addo, who is hoping to secure over 80 per cent of the votes, appealed to the delegates to renew, once again, their trust in him by voting massively for him on Saturday. �I am in this contest because I want to lead the NPP to victory in 2016. Additionally, I am in this race because I have a vision for the transformation of this country and a vision of what this country can be, given the abundance of human and natural resources God has blessed us with,� he said. According to him, that vision could only be achieved with the right leadership and that �is what I am offering the people of Ghana�. �Everywhere I have been so far I have been encouraged by the massive show of support, both from Ghanaians and NPP delegates. It is clear that Ghanaians are desperately looking for change in 2016 and are looking up to us, the NPP, for a credible, attractive and honest alternative,� he said. Expectations on Saturday On his expectations on Saturday, he simply declared: �I hope delegates will vote massively for me, come Saturday, because it will send two clear messages: first, that the NPP is solidly united behind its presidential candidate, and second, that the party is focused and ready to wrest political power from the NDC, come 2016.� In his view, a massive vote for him would be seen as a vote for a party that was single-minded and focused in purpose. That purpose, he said, was how to assume leadership in 2016 and bring back hope to the suffering masses of the country and make the nation once again the shining star of all that was positive about Africa. �What Ghana is looking for is a competent and experienced team, under a decisive and honest leader, to put it back on track. Ghanaians simply want a good government. God willing, and with the people of Ghana consenting in 2016, I can assemble such a formidable team that will make Ghana work again,� he concluded. Alan Kyerematen Mr Kyerematen, who, for his part, has no choice but to succeed this time round in his bid to become the flag bearer of the NPP, is campaigning on a new slogan, �Be NPP, Be Alan�. �God willing, if given the nod to lead the party and the country, I will be able to use my vast experience and skills to achieve the transformational agenda required to move the nation forward,� he said in an interview. He said he had a brighter chance of becoming the NPP flag bearer. �Indeed, the darkest hour is before dawn,� he declared, adding, �I have travailed the worst and I am emerging triumphant in the end.� Message to delegates His campaign team told the Daily Graphic that Alan�s simple message was that the NPP had already tried two times one of the two keys that could open the presidential door but could not open it. �Now that we have one final chance to try, do we use the same key that was tried twice or we try the other key that is unused?� the team asked. It said Mr Kyerematen�s campaign had shown that the NPP and the people of Ghana understood the principle of �result delivery� in respect of effective organisation and achievement of goals. �After all, since when did the world begin to applaud failure?� it asked. Rebellion among delegates According to the team, truth was like a cork and could not stay under water forever. �Amidst all the lies told about Alan and his campaign, and in spite of the short period allowed for the delegates congress, Alan�s campaign message has brought light to the delegates,� the team said. It said delegates were now asking the right questions and coming out of the forced decision planted on them to follow just one man by the old party executive. �As a matter of fact, delegates are ready to evaluate, analyse and reflect in the interest of the NPP and not to satisfy mere mortals,� the team declared. Addai-Nimoh The two-term MP for Asante Mampong told the Daily Graphic that he remained the choice with the brightest prospect, not only to win power for the NPP in 2016 but also redeem the nation from the prevailing economic circumstances. The 49-year-old civil engineer believes �there comes a point in time when a leader emerges, depending on the prevailing circumstances�. �Such a time has come within the NPP for a new leadership and redirection to prosecute the agenda of winning political power and breathing a new life into the socio-economic development of the country,� he said. He was confident of victory and trusted that the delegates would entrust their hope in him and give him the mandate to lead the party. Undoubtedly the least known face among the three aspirants, Mr Addai-Nimoh reckoned the huge challenge that faced his campaign but optimistically pointed out that �it is always possible to rise from the unknown to the known, as David in the Bible did�. Unifier �I am a unifier, neutral and the David in the NPP in that I am the youngest of the three aspirants, just like David in the Bible, and I will end the division in the NPP,� he stated He said he believed the time was due for the NPP to return to power, but added that that could only be possible with a united front. To him, the stars were perfectly aligned for the NPP to return to government in 2017, as the current administration of the NDC appeared incompetent, tired and riddled with corruption. Mr Addai-Nimoh said the best way to end the internal wrangling in the party was for the delegates to vote against the two leading contenders, come October 18, and expressed confidence that they would elect the right person for the party. This first phase of the process of electing the person to lead the NPP into the 2016 elections was took place at 11 polling centres in the 10 regional capitals and the headquarters of the party in Accra on August 31, 2014 when the Special Electoral College voted. Subsequently, a super delegates congress of almost 141,000 delegates will elect one of the three as flag bearer on Saturday, October 18, as two of the five shortlisted aspirants � the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joe Ghartey, and the MP for Asuogyaman, Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw � have withdrawn from the race and thrown their weight behind Nana Akufo-Addo.