Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has just confirmed his long-speculated presidential ambition almost six months after denying rumours that he is interested in running for the 2024 Presidential ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
At the time, he gave an impression that he was not nursing any presidential ambition and that his posture and words had been twisted for mischief.
However, he recently confirmed in an interview with Accra-based Joy FM that he is indeed interested in becoming President and that he will most likely officially announce his intent in 2024.
“Why shouldn’t I be? I am a member of this party and a very senior member, so why shouldn’t I? The destiny of this party should be of great concern to me and for all of us as party members. If I was going to say I was not interested in running for president, I would have said so,” he revealed.
In March, there were rumours that Dr. Afriyie Akoto had met with party officials in Kumasi and asked them for their support for him in his intention to contest for the 2024 presidential ticket of the NPP.
The Agric Minister flatly denied the rumours saying his focus was to help the Akufo-Addo government succeed. However, less than six months down the line, he says it is true.
However, according to him, what he denied six months ago was not the rumour that he is interested in becoming president, but that the rumours had included claims that he had paid the executives he met some money and that is what he had denied.
“I was reacting to allegations made against me that I had spent GH¢1 million, one fine afternoon in my house at Kumasi to buy delegates and whatever. I don’t even know what they were talking about. I was specifically responding to those allegations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Afriyie Akoto’s clear intention means the contest for the 2024 presidential ticket is no longer going to be the much-speculated two-horse race between Vice President Bawumia and Trade Minister Alan Kyeremanten.
Already, things have been heating up between the Bawumia and Alan camps with President Akufo-Addo reportedly using his latest MMDCE appointments to sideline all known pro-Alan Kyeremanten party members.
It is widely expected that President Akufo-Addo’s moves to foist Bawumia on the NPP will likely cause an implosion.