Former Member of Parliament for Sefwi-Wiawso, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, has disclosed that he nearly abstained from voting in the recently concluded New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primaries due to concerns about internal arrangements and the growing influence of money in party politics.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Dr. Afriyie said he remained neutral throughout the primaries despite being approached by all the aspirants.
“I wasn’t in anyone’s camp, even though they all came to see me and I received them,” he said. “But I wasn’t happy with a lot of things regarding the internal arrangement, and we must talk about them openly.”
He criticised the role of money in shaping political discourse within the party, stressing that electoral success should be based on earning the trust of the people rather than financial influence.
“I am not happy with the influence of money by the parties — all of them — in our political discourse, and I am not naive,” Dr. Afriyie noted. “Because of these things, I almost did not vote, if not for careful thought.”
According to him, such practices undermine confidence in the internal democratic processes of political parties and risk alienating committed members.
Dr. Afriyie’s comments add to growing calls within the NPP for introspection and reforms aimed at strengthening internal democracy and restoring trust among party faithful.
“If we want to win an election, we must learn to win the trust of the people,” he said, underscoring the need for integrity and transparency in party politics.
The NPP presidential primaries ended with former Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, securing a landslide victory.
Dr. Bawumia polled 110,645 votes, representing 56.48 per cent of the total valid ballots cast.
More than 211,000 delegates participated in the election, voting at over 300 polling centres nationwide in what party officials described as a highly competitive internal contest.
Kennedy Agyapong placed second with 46,554 votes, accounting for 23.76 per cent, while Dr. Bryan Acheampong came third with 36,303 votes, representing 18.53 per cent.
Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong followed with 1,999 votes (1.02 per cent) and 402 votes (0.21 per cent) respectively.
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