As the opposition New Patriotic Party prepares for its National Executive and National Council meetings this week to firm up plans for the 2016 elections, The aL-hAJJ can today report that, contrary to recent media reports that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has settled on former National Chairman Peter Mac Manu to lead his 2016 campaign, the mantle has rather fallen on Stephen Ayensu Ntim.
Mr. Ntim, a former 1st vice chairman of the NPP, our source close to the flagbearer says, has been penciled by Nana AkufoAddo to lead his third and possibly, last attempt at pursing his childhood dream of becoming President.
Also included in the list of NPP stalwarts to prosecute Nana Akufo-Addo’s 2016 campaign is the party’s Communications Director, Nana Akomea, who would be tasked to play duo role as both Communications Director for the party and the 2016 campaign team.
Also penciled to play key roles in Nana Akufo-Addo’s possible last bite at the presidency crusade is multiple flag bearer aspirant, Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten, former Finance Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo; Mr Ken Ofori Atta, founder of Databank; MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyepong; former campaign manager, Boakye Agyarko and other leading members of NPP among others.
Although there are rumors Nana Akufo-Addo has decided to sideline his party’s National Chairman and General Secretary in the 2016 campaign, information available to The aL-hAJJ indicate the duo would be part of the broad base campaign team with several committees and sub committees.
This strategy of bringing on board his perceived or known adversaries, sources say, is to demonstrate to any other aggrieved member that he (Nana) is indeed, a unifier. This way, sources say, he believes would consolidate his effort of getting the keys to the flag staff house.
Deep throat sources close to the twice defeated presidential candidate of the NPP disclosed to The aL-hAJJ that the choice of Stephen Ntim as campaign manager is to decentralize the former MP for Abuakwa South’s 2016 campaign from how it used to be clustered around the hardline Akyem politicians previously.
A very reliable source told this paper “disregard news making rounds that Nana has settled on Mac Manu as campaign manager. Like I told you some time back, Ntim is the man to lead Nana’s 2016 campaign. When they were making noise that Dr Bawumia, Edward Boateng or Dan Botwe would lead the campaign I told you it is not true, and clearly the latest name being thrown around suggests that some of these things are done to project certain people…but as I said Ntim is the man”
It would be recalled that TheaL-hAJJ last year reported that multiple national chairman aspirant, Stephen Ntim has been penciled to take over from the NPP’s 2012 campaign manager, Boakye Agyarko.
Ghanaians were however confused when media reports suggested three NPP stalwarts were jostling to deny Stephen Ntim the position which this paper gathered was promised him days after he lost the chairman post to Paul Afoko in the Tamale contest.
The three included Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, 2008, 2012 and 2016 vice presidential candidate of the NPP; alongside Dan Kwaku Botwe, Member of Parliament for Okere in the Eastern Region and a two-time General Secretary of the NPP, and Mr. Edward Boateng, CEO of the Global Media Alliance.
Just last week, the issue of Nana Akufo-Addo’s 2016 campaign came up again in sections of the media, with congratulatory messages trending on social media for Peter Mac Manu, who is also said to have activated his links in the party to grab the coveted post.
However, The aL-hAJJ has gathered from reliable sources that, the former Brong Ahafo regional chairman of the NPP together with Nana Akomea and other campaign kingpins will be officially unveil to the party’s NEC any time this week barring any last minute hitch.
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