�15� NPP Presidential Aspirants Might Scale Down Significantly � Ben Ephson

Despite having projected earlier that as many as 15 persons in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are likely to put themselves up for election as potential flagbearer aspirants, Ben Ephson, Managing Editor of the �Daily Dispatch� newspaper believes the numbers might scale down. The renowned pollster made this revelation in a telephone interview with Asempa Fm. He also explained �how the 15 names came about and the possibility of how they can be shrunk�. According to the pollster, aside Dr. Richard Anane, who appears to be the fifteenth person on the list, the rest of the names came up during a fieldwork he is doing on a yet to be published book. ��you know that when NPP expanded their electoral college as a result of a review of their constitution, they said that the electoral which would ultimately elect the flagbearer was expanded to over 110, 000 delegates. The same review said that if the numbers (Presidential candidate aspirants) are more than 5, the members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) would do a mini election and the top 5 voted for by the NEC would be presented to the over 100,000�. ��there are a number of layers of elections that would take place. They would have to elect executive officers at the polling station level, constituency, regional and national. So if one is interested in the flagbearership, he would have to make sure his supporters or activists are elected at these levels, which ultimately influence�.in the cause of our field work, we met people canvassing for their preferred candidates. And that�s how we kept picking up the names,� he elaborated. Ben Ephson Jnr made this disclosure in an interview to further explain the lead story of his Newspaper, which was published on Thursday, 19th September, 2013. The paper reported that 15 persons who may vie for the presidential ticket of the opposition New Patriotic Party for the 2016 presidential election include, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, 2008 and 2012 NPP Vice presidential candidate; Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe, Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere; Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen (popularly called Alan Cash), former Trade and Industry Minister, who two flagbearer contests to Nana Akufo-Addo; Mr. Isaac Osei, MP for Subin; and Mr. Boakye Agyarko, the 2012 Campaign Director of the NPP and former Information Minister Oboshie Sai Cofie. But the Veteran journalist opined that the number could be scaled down because of the NPP�s constitution.