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This Publisher newspaper can now confirm that former Local Government and Rural Development Minister Samuel Ofosu Ampofo is interested in becoming the chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). Accordingly, the former National Organiser of the party has put machinery in place to study the grounds for him ahead of the party�s national delegates� congress, which is scheduled to come off in December. Mr. Ampofo who was defeated in the last parliamentary election when he contested the Tema West seat, this paper learnt, has sent his campaign team across the country to gauge his chances before making any concrete decision for the chairmanship race. He is currently chairing a committee set up by NDC to determine the process of registering party members electronically. However, the incumbent national chairman Dr. Kwabena Adjei, according to insider sources, is upset with Mr. Ampofo�s new assignment. The national chairman believes Mr. Ampofo will use his role to campaign for his chairmanship ambition. Dr. Adjei last week unsuccessfully tried to stop the establishment of Mr. Ampofo�s committee on grounds that the latter would use the opportunity to campaign against the former. Mr. Ampofo, who has been a two-time national Organiser of NDC, has always insisted he is not interested in the chairmanship position even though party people who spoke to this paper confirmed the presence of his campaign team visiting constituencies to assess his chances. According to a party executive in the Western region, Mr. Ampofo�s team is calling on party supporters to give him the chance to run the affairs of the party since President John Dramani Mahama has decided not to consider him in his government after all the hard work he has done for the party. President Mahama�s decision not to appoint Mr. Ampofo as a minister has left many wondering what has gone between the two. Some John Mahama (JM) campaign members believe the president�s decision was based on Ampofo�s refusal to release campaign money meant for President Mahama ahead of the 2012 general elections. According to party sources, certain individuals and companies gave money to Mr. Ampofo to be given to President Mahama but the money never got to JM and this has allegedly angered the president. As a result of this, President Mahama swore to teach Mr. Ampofo a lesson. Dr. Kwabena Adjei, incumbent national chairman, NADMO Boss Kofi Portuphy and Huudu Yahaya are all said to be preparing for the chairman slot of the NDC.