The dreams of two former Ministers, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku and Stephen Asamoah Boateng of becoming the next New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, have been dashed.

The two aspirants failed to amass enough votes needed for them to join the top five aspirants for the final selection process slated for October 18, 2014 after polling 10 and 13 votes respectively, when voting closed at 3pm Sunday.

Predictably, two-time presidential candidate of the NPP Nana Akufo-Addo; former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen; second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Ghartey; MP for Mampong; Francis Addai Nimoh and Asuogyaman MP, Kofi Osei Ameyaw have all crossed the first hurdle.

Seven-Hundred and Forty (740) delegates out of the expected 787, made up of leaders of the party across the country participated in the exercise and selected the five aspirants to contest the flagbearership position of the NPP.

Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyerematen remain the frontrunners for the national delegates’ congress where about 130,000 delegates are expected to exercise their franchise at 228 voting centres across the country.  

Kufuor abstains

Former president John Agyekum Kufuor withdrew from voting because he considers the event as an internal contest and he would not want to be seen to be taking sides.

It is unclear if Mr. Kufuor would take a similar decision on the October 18 National Delegates’ Conference, when delegates of the party vote to elect a flagbearer to lead the NPP to the 2016 presidential elections.

Spokesperson for the former president, Frank Agyekum said Mr. Kufuor wants to remain neutral as a statesman and would therefore not be seen as being biased towards any of the candidates.

“The former president is now being seen more as an elder in the party and he is now playing more of a statesman role in both party and national affairs and he sees these internal contests in the party…and he believes that at this state when the party is in the process of selecting the winner he should stay neutral,” Mr. Agyekum told Joy News’ Elton Brobbey.

Asked whether the former president will also abstain from the October 18 conference, Mr. Agyekum said: “If he sees the way things are going when the time comes he will take that decision”.

Akufo-Addo’s shock

Meanwhile, Nana Akufo-Addo has expressed surprise at reports of confusions erupting at some polling stations where the Super Delegates' Conference is being held.

Reports suggested there was misunderstanding at some of the polling stations in the Northern, Volta regions as well as the party headquarters in Accra.

“I’m surprised to hear this news," Nana Akufo-Addo told Joy News' Francis Abban in an exclusive interview Sunday.

He would not however, make any comments until he is properly briefed.

"I don’t want to prejudice the matter until I have heard from my people to hear what exactly took place.”