Boakye Agyarko: I Stand A Better Chance Of Leading NPP In 2024

Former Minister of Energy, Mr Boakye Agyarko says he stands a better chance of leading the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to Election 2024 as a flagbearer.

He is of the conviction that NPP delegates will buy into his vision and give him the nod.

Confirming that he will contest the next presidential primary of the NPP, Mr Agyarko said there are no questions about his interest.

In a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM on the sidelines of the Greater Accra Regional conference of the NPP last week in Accra, Mr Agyarko said he has the experience to "Break the 8" year rotation of governance between the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Mr Agyarko was among the 17 contestants who wanted to lead the NPP in 2007 for Election 2008 but were beaten overwhelmingly by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

His presidential ambitions are still alive. Already Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, former Minister of Railways, Mr Joe Ghartey and Minister of Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto are the ones whose names have come up as interested flagbearers.

Asked about the difference between 2007 and now in the Citi FM interview monitored by Graphic Online, Mr Agyarko said "it is a different race [now]."

"2008 I was relatively new. 2008 it was a smaller electoral college of less than 5000 people. Now it is an electoral college of 205,000, so it is a different ball game all together. It is not just experience..., it is about the fact that the party people will get to know you better so that, you've served this party for a long time and you've been loyal to this party and they have a better basis of evaluating you," he said.

He disagreed with a suggestion that his removal as Minister of Energy will have an effect on his contest.

"Who said that when you serve in government, you have a fixed tenure? You don't. You serve at the pleasure of the president, so to think that you didn't serve your full term, it is only the president and his Vice, who have a term. You can be a minister for two weeks and the president will decide to dispense of your service. So there is no fixed tenure."

"At the end of the day, I will make my case to the electorate and it is up to them to decide my fate. I'm not going to dribble and dabble in what is in the past. For me it is totally unnecessary, it is the delegates who will make up their minds on my competence and the desirability to have me as their president."