The Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has stated that former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo does not have a favourite among the candidates contesting the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearership race.
Speaking on The Pulse on Thursday, January 15, Mr Jinapor explained on JoyNews that former President Akufo-Addo has made his position clear—choosing to rise above the internal competition and remain neutral.
According to Mr Jinapor, who served as Deputy Chief of Staff and later Lands Minister under President Akufo-Addo’s tenure, this deliberate stance is intended to give the President the moral authority to engage all factions within the party and help unite it after what is expected to be a keenly contested race.
Mr Jinapor noted that former President Akufo-Addo’s posture is not without precedent, pointing out that former President John Agyekum Kufuor adopted a similar neutral position during the party’s internal processes in 2023 and has maintained that stance to date.
He further added that the NPP is privileged to have two former presidents to guide the party as they forge ahead to recapture power in 2028.
“We have the luck and fortune of having two former presidents in the party, and we must make maximum political use of that,” he said, adding that their neutrality places them in a strong position to help reconcile and bring the party together after the contest.
Mr Jinapor stressed that it is both welcome and strategic that the two distinguished party elders have chosen not to publicly align with any candidate, as it strengthens their ability to serve as unifying figures when the need arises.
He, however, dismissed the significance of these individual preferences, insisting they do not in any way reflect the President’s position or compromise his neutrality.
Despite acknowledging that the contest is fierce and highly competitive, Mr Jinapor expressed confidence in the outcome, stating clearly that he believes Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will eventually emerge victorious in the race.
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