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A flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Francis Addai-Nimoh, has expressed his readiness for the September 2, 2023 run-off to break the tie between him and fellow contestant, Boakye Agyarko.

Any one of the two contestants who emerges winner will join the four who were selected in the Special Electoral College Election last Saturday.

Mr Addai-Nimoh who made his intention known in an interview with the Daily Graphic said the process was on and he was not going to step down.

Readiness
He denied knowledge of any talks between him and the camp of Mr Agyarko as well as that of the party for any of them to step down for the other to go through the process for the November 4 primary to elect a flag bearer for the party.

“So far as I am concerned I am on course for Saturday’s run-off and I am not stepping down,” he said.

“The run-off, if there was a tie, was spelt out in the guidelines for the Special Electoral College election so I am ready for the contest on Saturday, “the former NPP Member of Parliament for Ashanti Mampong in the Ashanti Region stated.

He assured his supporters that the process to join the top five for the main presidential primary was on and he was going to contest.

Agyarko 
Mr Agyarko, a former Minister of Energy, has also indicated his readiness for the run-off scheduled for Saturday.

A statement issued by Mr Agyarko on August 28, said his attention had been drawn to some false claims and reports that he had withdrawn from the NPP presidential primary.

“I have not made any pronouncements with anyone or any media house. I am ready for the upcoming run-off scheduled for Saturday, September 2, 2023,” Mr Agyarko said in the statement.

He therefore urged the public to disregard that information as he said he was ready for the run-off.

Recall
Messrs Agarko and Addai-Nimoh secured nine votes each in the NPP Special Electoral College election held last Saturday and, therefore, there must be a run-off to break the tie for one of them to join the top four to become the fifth person for the flagbearership contest on November 4.

The Chairman of the Presidential Elections Committee of the party, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, after the declaration of the results by the Electoral Commission (EC) at the party headquarters said if neither of the two tying aspirants threw in the towel, the party would go for another election on Saturday, September 2 this year to break the tie to bring the number to five as required by the party’s constitution.

The Vice-Chairman of the committee, Kwabena Abankwa-Yeboah, told journalists that the election to break the tie for the fifth candidate would be held across all the 17 voting centres in the country, with the 956 delegates voting to decide.

Guidelines
Per the guidelines issued by the party for the election, in the event of two, three or four of the aspirants sharing the total results with the remaining contestants not obtaining any votes, there will be a run-off for those who obtained zero votes to add up to make up the five, while in the event of a tie between two or more candidates for the fifth position, a run-off election will be conducted for those who will tie on Saturday, September 2, 2023.

Candidates
The top four candidates who were selected by the delegates in the Special Electoral College election for the main primary on November 4 were Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia; the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; a former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, and a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto.