“The New Patriotic Party in 2007, under the leadership of President Agyekum Kufuor, was in a more precarious state, when about 17 individuals stood to contest for the flag bearership with some people calling the next NPP flagbearership race as the battle for the soul of the nation,” he stated.

According to him, he was convincedtheNPP would surmount the challenges and problems ahead and after the contest however, admitted that “being the first political party in the Fourth Republic to win a third consecutive national election will not come on a silver platter for the NPP but the party would work hard, remain united, focus and steadfast to achieve the feat”.

“Definitely it is not going to be easy because in 2008 when the party went into its internal elections, the candidates were as many as 17 and I believe this year, they will be far less to ensure peace, unity, harmony and cohesion devoid of rancour, acrimony and bickering.

“We need togetherness, we sometimes need to put our differences somewhere and support and assist the candidate that can break the eight years of political party jinx because breaking the jinx is not just a slogan, but it isgoing to be a reality and is expected to be a keenly contested race,” Mr Blay contended.

He indicated that at the moment, the party was holding internal elections to elect polling station executives, electoral area coordinators, constituencies and will later elect its regional, national leaders and subsequently elect its next flagbearer.

Some researchers and political analysts are tipping the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen as the front-runners and others who have declared their intention to run include Dr Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Food and Agriculture, Joe Ghartey, former Minister of Railway Development, DrKonaduApraku, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and Boakye Agyarko, former Minister of Energy