An Aspiring national chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Stephen Ntim has reiterated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has met him on three occasions and appealed to him to step down for Alhaji Abubakar Abdul-Raman, to go ahead and win the upcoming election.
According to him, the President told him he would prefer Alhaji Abdul-Raman who is popularly known as Alhaji Short to become the national chairman.
Reacting to a tape in circulation which captures his [Ntim] meeting with some NPP supporters during which he confirmed the request by the President, Mr Ntim said he was not going to lie about anything but explained that he did not say that he can't be treated as Afoko as reported.
Rather, he said he would not be another Afoko and create tension between himself and the President.
Explaining himself in a radio interview on Asempa FM Tuesday afternoon, Mr Ntim accused his opponent Alhaji Short of deliberately trying to thwart his campaign and that aside the destruction of his posters in areas such as Wa, and assigning people to secretly record his [Ntim] meetings with party supporters to distort it, they have also been planting people within the executives to ask questions.
Mr Ntim said at one of his meetings, he was asked to comment on a speculation that President Akufo-Addo had brought someone to challenge him and he told them that was true.
So I told them that it was true that the President has a preferred candidate and I have met with him on three occasions on this issue, “he [Akufo-Addo] is appealing to me, and I’m also appealing to him, it is not a threat.”
“I’m not going to lie about anything, and I’m not going to make up any concoctions…it is a gentleman kind of negotiation... what is the secret about this," he quipped.
He said the President appealed to him to step down for Alhaji Short, “I will not mince words, I will not decorate it, this is what it is, it is not a lie, I don’t think the President will lie about this, ok, he appealed to me passionately and I also told him my position."
Asked about why President Akufo-Addo would want him to step down, Mr Ntim said he will not go public on that one since it was an internal party matter, "I can’t divulge the reasons on radio," he said.
What is the big deal about this, and people are saying "leaked tape, leaked tape", there is nothing to this, he said in reference to the tape in circulation.
"I have not insulted anyone on this, then I also saw a caption on one of the TV stations that “I will not allow Akufo-Addo to treat me like Afoko, that is also a fallacy, I never said that, I am setting the records straight.
"What I said was that, I’m not going to be another Afoko whereby there was tension and all that and after winning the election, then there is tension between you and the president.
"Rather I said after winning the election, I will go to the president and pledge my support to him, I’m not going to fight my president, I’m not going to be another Afoko.
Mr Ntim has contested and lost the national chairmanship position on three occasions.
In 2001 he contested for the national vice chairman position but in 2005 he contested with Peter Mac Manu for the national chairman position.
In 2010, he contested with the late Jake Otanka Obetsebi Lamptey and with Paul Afoko and Fred Oware in 2014.
in all those past campaigns, Mr Ntim said there were no tension and acrimony because his competitors were "experienced and loyal party people."
He said Mac Manu and Jake never did anything to him and questioned why there was so much tension with the 2018 NPP national elections.
Source: Daily Graphic
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Please let us stop all this and focus on party agenda and win 2020 election Ntim or alhaji short the value is the same NPP mast move forward thanks
I am disappointed in president Nana Addo for asking Mr Ntim to step down for Alhaji Short. It is not wise decision for him to do that. I learnt it also happened in Ashanti where also impressed on some one to step down for gyimi gyimi wontumi . l think the president has a sinister motive. Ntim should never agree. I disagree with people referring him to another Afoko and for that matter disgracing the president for coming out to speak the truth. We should note that Npp is a tradition and never belongs to anybody .
NPP watch out! This is another Paul Afoko. Even if the president called you and advised you to step down in private, why do you come to disgrace the president in public. In politics, there are always strategies, if you do not agree, you should not disgrace your party in public. WATCH OUT ANOTHER PAUL AFOKO!
AKUFO ADDO IS A CONFUSIONIST, ALWAYS CAUSING CONFUSION EVERYWHERE, THE SAMETHING IN ASHANTI REGION. WHAT IS HIS INTEREST IN EXECUTIVE POSITIONS? AKUFO ADDO IS SUPER SUPER INCOMPETENT, ALWAYS WANTS TO USE FORCE AND VIOLENCE TO BULLDOZE HIS WAY THROUGH. EH! THIS MAN IS WICKIED, THIS SHOT MAN DEV1L
This is Ghanaian Journalism for you. Our journalists always want to create sensation even if it means twisting facts.
I AM QUIETLY WATCHING MY PARTY. WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLLOWERS AND TOO MANY CLIQUES. IT IS WELL
Too much talk will not get you anywhere.
HMMMMMMMMMMMM. NPP AGAIN. REMEMBER THE FAMOUS 17 ARMED ROBBERSSS. POWER STRUGGLE IS TOO MUCH . BE WATCHFUL OOO
FREDDIE BLAY MY HE HAS DONE ALOT FOR THE PARTY NPP WISE UP!
Idon't get it,Ntim never step down,if you do ,you are finished with your political carrier, better stand and loose than stepping down,if the president so called preferred choice is not that popular, why did he decide to contest in the first place.I keep saying 'meat that has fat will prove it by the heat of fire'. We shall see, again to Ntim, never ,never step down,what can come, can come.