All 18 candidates seeking the presidential slot of the ruling New Patriotic Party and their supporters are scattered in different parts of the country canvassing support from the potential delegates. Party officials say there has been an addition to the list since Dr. Arthur Kennedy picked his nomination form last Wednesday. There has also been no submission since former Minister for NEPAD and Regional Integration Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku submitted his form last Tuesday. Most of the aspirants have since occupied themselves with campaigning. Joy News’ Israel Laryea who has been finding out what the various aspirants have been up to says the competition is getting keener. According to Israel, Hiplife music compositions for some candidates have been competing with other commercials on radio stations, and while some have branded public buses to ensure visibility, others have resorted to the good old poster-on-wall strategy. Israel Laryea called up some of the aspirants to find out what the strategy has been for them since they picked up their forms. First was Dr. Arthur Kennedy, who says he has been receiving felicitations, among others. “In addition to that I have been making arrangements to get the forms completed and then I have also been on the campaign trail. Yesterday I made a return visit to the Volta Region.” He expects to submit his forms in at most four weeks time. For Boakye Kyeremanten-Agyarko who quit his lucrative Bank of New York Vice Presidential job in the US to run for the flagbearership, he says he is fine-tuning his nomination papers. “The draft and everything has been prepared and I am currently reviewing the material for quality assurance purposes to make sure that all the ‘Is’ have been dotted, all the ‘Ts’ have been crossed before I submit them, then right after that we proceed to the Volta Region in order to complete our third lap. By the time we finish the Volta Region, we would have visited every constituency three times. Once we have done with that then we will do a bit of press activity and then commence our fourth lap, our final lap before we go to congress to select the next flagbearer.” MP for Berekum, Captain (Rtd) Nkrabeah Effah Darteh says he is still gathering the one hundred signatures required for the completion of the nomination form. “We have tried to meet all the requirements in the form, the most important of which is the acquisition of 100 signatures from 10 regions. As I speak to you now, my campaign managers are all over in the various regions trying to get the signatures ready and as at last night we had collected 90.” Asked if he had also secured the GH¢25,000 (¢250,000,000) filing fee, he said “It would be ready when we are ready.” In the meantime the vetting of the aspirants will be coming up sometime after November 22 when nominations close. But between now and when the Vetting Committee wraps up its work for congress however, the various aspirants especially the less endowed ones should be carefully considering the settlement of the GH¢25,000 filing fee with the reminder that it is non-refundable. And for those wishing to join the race, the General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow says there are more forms available, and as many as are willing may apply.