Ghana’s ruling party will choose its candidate for next year’s presidential election on Saturday, hoping to find a contender who can succeed Nana Akufo-Addo as head of state.
The country is undergoing its worst economic trouble in years and the crisis is set to dominate the campaign ahead of the December 2024 polls.
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, a former deputy central bank governor, is widely touted by pollsters as the favourite to win the primary race to become the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate.
“I will give the NPP its best chance to win,” he told reporters on Thursday. “I am committed to the unity of the NPP, and I as the party’s flagbearer will bring everybody on board.”
“I believe I’m more popular with the grassroots than with the establishment,” he added, saying he had plans to “better the lives of all of us in Ghana.”
His main opponent, Kennedy Agyapong, was also “confident of victory on Saturday,” according to his team.
“We’re expecting at least 70 percent of the votes,” his spokesman said. “We are not basing our confidence on any opinion polls. We are with the grassroots.”
