At a press conference in Accra on Monday to dispel allegations that he was behind the destruction of a rival candidate’s billboard in his constituency, Nsawam, in the Eastern Region, Mr Annoh-Dompreh said Dr Bawumia remained the most potent candidate to lead the NPP to break the eight-year governance jinx.

“Saturday is looking very good. There is not going to be any surprises. It will be an emphatic endorsement for the most popular candidate and you know it is the Vice President. He is going to win hands down and there is no doubt about that,” he stated.

About 1,000 delegates across the country will be voting at 17 voting centres to prune the 10 aspirants to five for the main contest on November 4 to elect the party’s flagbearer for the 2024 polls.

The delegates would include Council Members, Regional Executives, Constituency Chairmen, NPP Members of Parliament, National Executives, representation of foreign branches, and the students’ wing.

Some political watchers have said the upcoming polls would have little bearing on who would win the November elections because over 250,000 delegates would be voting in the expanded Electoral College.

But Mr Annoh-Dompreh said Saturday’s exercise would be representative and a microcosm of what would happen in November and whoever comes atop would have the edge going forward.

“Whoever will come amongst the five as the first, would have the bargaining right to go out there and speak to the larger delegates so it is a very crucial. The percentage one would emerge with in Saturday’s election would send a clear signal to the delegates.

“Largely, what will happen on Saturday is going to be a reflection of what will happen in November,” he emphasized.

As a leader in Parliament, the third term lawmaker said he has the moral and patriotic obligation to ensure that he contributed to the victory of the party in next year’s polls.

“I cannot be in the middle. We want to do something that has never been done in the history of the party and country and this would not take ordinary efforts to achieve.

“I want to be part of that history and therefore if I have evidence that there is a particular candidate amongst the lot who can make that history, I can’t hold on to that urge.”

Dr Bawumia will face off with nine other candidates for the slot. They include Ken Ohene Agyapong, MP, Assin Central; Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, former Minister of Trade and Industry; Joe Ghartey, former Railway Development Minister; Kwadwo Poku, Energy Consultant and Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Minister of Food and Agriculture.

The rest are Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former General Secretary, NPP; Francis Addai Nimoh, former MP, Mampong; Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, former Minister of Trade and Industry and Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, former Minister of Energy.