Two-time flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has fired up the race to lead New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2016 general elections after picking nomination forms in Accra, Thursday.

Boosted by fanfare and sloganeering, the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice under the NPP administration was followed to  the NPP headquarters in Accra, where he picked up nomination forms.

This comes after a former Minister for Information, Stephen Asamoah Boateng declared he will win the ticket to lead the biggest opposition party in Ghana.

Nominations were opened last Friday and the contest has been tentatively slated for December 6th, 2014.

Nana Addo and Stephen Asamoah Boateng inch up the number of contestants to four, expected to grow in the coming days.

Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, presidential aspirant in 2008 and Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, the MP for Asuogyaman both sent emissaries to pick up forms.

The 2008 and 2012 presidential candidate's perennial challenger Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen is yet to pick nomination forms.

Others believed to have the ambition to contest the position include Mr Joe Ghartey and Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng and MP for Subin Mr Isaac Osei.

Nana Addo lost to late President John Evans Atta Mills in the 2008 presidential race and also lost to John Mahama, current president.

Stephen Asamoah Boateng also lost by 1,441 to Aquinas Quansah, the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in the 2012 parliamentary election results in the Mfanstiman West constituency of the Central region.

Nana Addo and Asamoah Boateng challenged their loss in court with the former going all the way in an 8-month election petition at the Supreme Court.

Although Stephen Asamoah Boateng challenged  the results in court he later abandoned the election petition “for very personal reasons and in the interest of peace in the constituency”.

The nomination fee, approved by the National Council, is GH¢10,000 and the filing fee is GH¢75,000.