NPP will play the religious card in presidential contest – Ben Ephson

• Ben Ephson has indicated that the religious card will play a role in the NPP presidential race

• He said Muslim card will unify the Muslims who may have been voting for another political party

• He said the NPP presidential elections will be interesting

Ben Ephson says religion will play a big role in who becomes the next presidential candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Speaking on Tuesday’s edition of the ‘Good Evening Ghana’ programme, the Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper explained, “If you realized, the Wesley Girls Muslim thing really went into overdrive and I suspect that certain supporters of some of the candidates will use the Muslim card. They will play the religious card, they are going to play it.”

This card, the pollster said will unify the Muslims who may have been voting for another political party.

“Now, that will have a double-edged sword because when you play the Muslim card, you are going to unify the Muslims who may have been voting for another political party…that means the Christian vote is going to be split among three or four candidates; that is the danger of the card that could be played.”

Ben Ephson further noted that, “as we speak now, most of the candidates who are serious either they are at the various regions where the voting is taking place, or they have highly placed persons within their campaign team to be there and try to get their supporters elected at the various levels…

“I believe that, from the 2007 experience where they had 17 leading members, contesting for the slot, I am sure the various mechanisms put in place by the NPP will ensure that three or four or five will be voted for…and it could be very interesting.”

As the NPP prepares to break the eight-year political cycle, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated categorically that he has no clear favourite within the candidates vying for the flagbearer race of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He has rather promised to ensure a fair and level playing field for all NPP members that have the ambition to lead the party as a presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election so as to help protect the unity, peace and progress of the party.

He also said the eventual successor as NPP flagbearer would have his unalloyed support to break the eight years jinx which the ruling NPP has christened ‘Breaking the 8’.

Furthermore, he also promised to allow the party’s rank and file across the country and even beyond, who he said are the real owners of the NPP, to freely elect their favourite candidates to lead the NPP during the December 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.

“I don’t have any clear favourite within the NPP family to succeed me as President after I have duly completed my second term and left political office; in fact, I will work to ensure a level-playing field for all NPP members that want to become president,” the President said on Pure FM in Kumasi.

Many stalwarts of the party have started lacing their boots to lead the NPP in 2024 when the President completes his second and final term.

Notable among them are his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen, Agric Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Railway Development Minister Joe Ghartey, former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko, former Minister Kofi Konadu Aparku among others who are rumoured to be planning to enter the contest.