MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong
The Member of Parliament(MP) for Assin Central, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong seems to be gradually becoming a conditional choice for many supporters of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) who leads the party into the 2024 general elections.
With about two years for President Akufo-Addo to finish the last term of his 8-year mandate given to him by the Ghanaian people, the party will have to select a new person to step into the flagbearership slot of the party sometime next year, to prepare that personality for the next presidential elections. Since the inception of the 4th Republican constitution in 1992, no political party has been able to cross the 8-year electoral cycle after ruling for two consecutive terms.
The NPP has vowed to break that jinx for the first time in the next elections. But it appears this vision of "breaking the 8" is being thwarted somehow by unforeseen happenings around the world. The coronavirus pandemic for instance, which ravaged the global economy, has had a debilitating effect on the Ghanaian economy, resulting in hardships for the citizenry.
This has dislocated the budgetary plans of the government, making it difficult to implement many of its pro-poor programmes for the benefit of the masses.
In spite of the efforts being made by the government to recover from the global economic crunch to put the economy on sound footing, many Ghanaians are angry, accusing the Akufo-Addo administration of not doing enough to mitigate the hardships they are going through.
As if that is not enough, some NPP supporters whose duty has been to propagate good works of their own party in power, are also disgruntled, citing neglect by top party officers and government appointees. With this, some NPP supporters and sympathisers have vowed not to campaign for the party again.
Moreover, several other professionals including medical doctors, pharmacists, lecturers, teachers, nurses, and business moguls, have also declared full support for Hon. Agyapong should he be selected by his party to lead them.
The Abossey Okai traders in recent times have complained bitterly about the rising exchange rate between the local currency and the dollar. According to them, almost all have taken a position not to help return the NPP to power as their businesses are collapsing as a result of the escalating exchange rate.
Some of these traders a few weeks ago made efforts to meet Hon. Agyapong in a youth conference at Takoradi and told him straight in the face that, but for his declaration to enter into the presidential primaries of his party, almost all of them had decided to turn their back to the NPP government.
To these traders, the Abossey Okai trading hub means a lot as it has helped them and many other business people to be successful and impact greatly the national economy. The recent depreciation of the cedi is ruining their profit margins and are now even struggling to break even.
The traders stated that they understand Mr. Agyapong to be a businessman who has passed through thin and thick stages like them in establishing and growing businesses and therefore appreciates the negative impact of the cedi depreciation on the national economy.
But some of such party supporters have made it clear that the only thing that will make them change their minds to vote for the NPP again, is seeing Hon. Kennedy Agyapong was the flagbearer of the party.
For some time now, the Assin Central legislator has been criss-crossing the country to participate in youth conferences to motivate the youth and young entrepreneurs not to give up. According to him, patriotism for one's country is very key in moving Ghana forward. So anywhere he has been, one of his pieces of advice is for citizens to be patriotic and honest to Ghana.
Coincidentally, whenever he has finished delivering his speech is leaving, NPP supporters who hear of his presence, intercept him on their way and present a range of grievances to him. Many of these party footsoldiers see the Assin Central MP as the one who speaks their language and on their behalf.
They have therefore called on him to contest the party presidential primaries and lead it into the 2024 elections else, they will not participate in any campaign of the party.