The Chairman of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Presidential Elections Committee, Joseph Osei Owusu, has criticised Kwasi Kwarteng, spokesperson for NPP presidential aspirant Kennedy Agyapong, following comments that aspirants did not receive copies of the party’s peace pact ahead of the signing ceremony.
The peace pact, signed by all five aspirants ahead of the January 31 presidential primaries, commits them to party unity, acceptance of the electoral process and its outcomes, and ensuring that supporters refrain from actions that could undermine peace within the party.
During the signing ceremony, Mr. Agyapong raised concerns about the document, prompting questions about his objections. Speaking on The Cituation Room on Channel One TV, Mr. Kwarteng clarified that Mr Agyapong’s concerns arose after noticing that the copy presented at the event omitted a key clause previously agreed upon by all aspirants.
Responding to the claims in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, Mr. Osei Owusu said the Election Committee had sent copies of the peace pact to all aspirants ahead of the signing.
“We sent a copy to each of the contestants ahead of time. Three days before the signing. Some of them received it personally, others through their agents. I have heard that interview, and I’m so disappointed. Let me be blunt: Lawyers should speak to facts and reality. I don’t think he [Kwaku Kwarteng] spoke to Hon. Kennedy Agyapong or Rockie before he granted the interview,” he stated.
Mr. Osei Owusu also clarified that the concerns raised by Mr. Agyapong were unrelated to the text of the peace pact, noting that issues about electoral results had been addressed during previous meetings with the Electoral Commission (EC).
“The issue Kennedy Agyapong raised was that we say he should accept the results, but during the 2023 election, in one of the constituencies, he got three votes, but they recorded zero. So what if that happens? I told him Rockie raised the issue at a meeting with the EC, and we gave the commitment that if anything happens and we have evidence that affects the integrity of the results, we will cancel it. That is what happened; it had nothing to do with the text, or he hadn’t seen it,” he explained.
He added that if Mr. Agyapong did not see a copy of the peace pact prior to signing, it was not the fault of the Election Committee.
“[If he didn’t see it], that will not be our fault; we gave two to his team, Rockie and Charles Bissue, so it’s not correct for anybody to say that he was seeing it for the first time,” Mr. Osei Owusu said.
The NPP is set to elect its presidential candidate on January 31 as part of efforts to reorganise and strengthen the party following its 2024 general election defeat.
Aspirants contesting the party’s flagbearer position include Kennedy Agyapong, former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ing. Kwabena Agyepong, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, and Dr. Bryan Acheampong.
