Executives of the New Patriotic Party in the Northern Region, led by their local chairman, Mohammed A Baatima Samba, have declared their support for an aspiring chairman of the party, Freddie Blay.
Information available to the Daily Statesman indicates that they declared their support on Tuesday when Blay met them in Tamale during a campaign tour of the region.
The NPP Northern regional secretary, Sulley Sambian, told this paper that when certain party executives were suspended before the 2016 elections, it was the Acting Chairman who had stepped in and steered the party to victory.
Sambian added that the executives are people who have been tried and tested. That makes their endorsement of the NPP Chairman worthy of recommendation come 7 July, when the party will go to the polls to elect national executives.
Two-term jinx
Sambian said that Blay had been able to ensure cordiality between the party and government. He described this as a favour that delegates must repay by endorsing the Acting Chairman overwhelmingly.
The NPP Northern Regional second vice-chairperson, Felicia Tetteh, stressed on her part that Blay had sacrificed much for the party.
“He has never abandoned the party. He is a grass-roots man and I think we must vote for him to continue,” she said.
The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, declared that the Acting Chairman’s support base in the region is unshakeable, and added that it is clear whom the party wants to lead.
Meanwhile, a group known as the Time Aso (“time’s up”) Movement says the moment is right to break the tradition of ruling parties exchanging the baton of power just for the sake of change.
According to Time Aso, Stephen Ntim, if elected, would help to break the two-term jinx suffered by the two leading political parties, NPP and NDC.
At a media engagement in Accra on Tuesday, the group’s convenor, Emmanuel Nii Abbey, said that Ntim must be elected as chairman if the NPP wants to remain in power for longer than eight years at a stretch.
“This would allow the country to continue to enjoy the prudent policies put in place by this government,” Nii Abbey said.
Loyalty
Movement members said that Ntim had shown loyalty, organisational skills, the ability to mobilise resources and a spirit of unity since the formation of the NPP. That makes him the best person for the chairmanship, they said.
According to the Time Aso Movement, in the 2016 election Ntim ensured that NPP won for the first time in some constituencies where it had never been successful. These include Atebubu-Amantin, Krachi East, Sefwi Wiawso, Sefwi Akontombra, Evalue Gwira, Amenfi East and Prestea-Huni Valley.
The activists said that with hard work and dedication, the aspiring national chairman had helped to win back other constituencies such as Techiman North, Techiman South, Nkoranza South and Ahafo Ano North.
They stressed that as a movement which believes in rewarding competence, dedication, long service, loyalty and hard work, Ntim is best positioned to carry the mantle of the chairmanship.
Diligent servants
“Our beloved party has thrived and lived for over 20 years because of the dedication and commitment of our founding fathers, patriots and men of integrity,” Movement members said.
“These patriots have been consistent in attending party functions, paying dues and have served the NPP very diligently all these decades. Hence it is time and very proper to acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate them accordingly.”
In their view, as NPP national First Vice-Chair between 2001 and 2004, Ntim, together with other executives, worked hard to ensure that the NPP sustained power in 2004.
To this end, Nii Abbey called on the party faithful to support the Ntim campaign.
Members of Time Aso include Kofi Ameyaw, deputy convenor; Daniel Agyemang, operations director; Raymond Kumah, deputy operations director; and Edward Acquah Baidoo, member.
Source: the new statesman
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