Hopeson Adorye & John Boadu Chase Moctar Bamba...

With four months and 10 days left for the election of new national executives for the New Patriotic Party, the 'New Statesman' can confirm that three persons have declared their intention to run for the position of National Organizer of the party. Alhaji Moctar Musa Bamba, the incumbent, faces stiff opposition for the position he won by a landslide at the 2009 National Delegates� Conference, as he seeks a renewal of his mandate at the 1st March 2014 delegates� conference. The 'New Statesman' can confirm that John Boadu, a former Deputy Director of Communications and a onetime National Youth Organizer of the NPP, and Hopeson Adorye, a member of the communications team of the NPP and a former constituency secretary of the NPP in the Kpone Katamanso constituency, are the two persons who have declared their intentions to battle for the National Organizer position with Alhaji Moctar Bamba. As stipulated in page 52 of the NPP�s constitution, the National Organiser of the NPP, among other things, is responsible for the management of the organizational work of the Party; organizing recruitment drives, establishing contacts at all levels among voters, setting up and maintaining local branches, training of party activists and, in association with the Director of Communications, train officials to become trainers and organize both inner- party and voter education exercises. Alhaji Moctar Bamba Alhaji Moctar Bamba was elected as the National Organizer of the NPP in 2009, obtaining 3,428 votes out of 3,951 valid votes cast, representing 86.76%, at the National Delegates� Conference held in Kumasi. His margin of victory was the largest at the 2009 conference, with the second placed candidate, John Boadu, obtaining 11.34%. The 2009 National Delegates Conference was the second time Alhaji Bamba had contested the National Organizer position of the NPP, after being beaten by Lord Commey at the 2005 National Delegates Conference, where he obtained 603 votes to Lord Commey�s 697 votes. Aides close to the former Deputy Minister of Presidential Affairs and ex-Member of Parliament for Wenchi say the battle for the 2016 elections is going to be a different ball game, and would require that the party elects someone with the determination and zeal to confront the difficulties that would come along. They have told the paper that the party needs someone who has the strong will to �counter� the National Democratic Congress. �You all know that we are not in power, and being in opposition means that we need to fight incumbency with the little resources and opportunity available to us. There is no time for laxity and experimentation,� one aide noted. They further argue that the NPP needs someone who can easily blend with the Northern and Zongo caucuses, to be able to share and co-ordinate well with them, in order to win their trust and confidence. �We have over 365 Zongo communities across the country, and you can imagine the number of votes we lost, simply because we could not bond well with them. Being multi-lingual, and with a Northern background, Alhaji Moctar Bambaa would be the perfect answer to the gap that exists between the party and the Zongo communities,� his aide said. John Boadu As former Deputy Director of Communications of the party, and described by many analysts as a brilliant man the NPP needs to keep a hold off, this will be the second attempt by John Boadu to annex the National Organiser position of the NPP. John Boadu, at the 2005 National Delegates� Conference of the NPP, became the National Youth Organizer of the NPP after securing 57.89% (785 votes) of the valid votes cast. His attempt at moving a step higher failed in 2009 after he was beaten to the National Organizer slot by Alhaji Moctar Bamba. Formally declaring his intention to run again for the National Organizer slot on last Friday�s Peace FM�s morning show, �Kokrokoo�, hosted by Kwami Sefa Kayi, John Boadu said that through the experiences gathered over the years in various leadership capacities, he was hopeful that he would be able to discharge his duties well when elected. He has also promised to give anyone who contests against him a run for their money. Those who are campaigning for John Boadu explain that he epitomizes genuine humility, adding that the NPP does not need an arrogant personality who will lord it over the people he is going to work with. �As stated explicitly in the NPP�s constitution, John Boadu will be an organizer who will be responsible for the management of the organizational work of the Party; organize recruitment drives, establish contacts at all levels among voters, set up and maintain local branches, training of party activists and, in association with the Director of Communications, train officials to become trainers and organize both inner- party and voter education exercises,� a source close to John Boadu told the paper. The source added: �John is simply strategic and smart and experience from the 2012 elections has vindicated him over the position he held when he was seeking to be the national organiser in the previous contest. John�s message then was that the 2012 election was not going to be about �machoism� and I think we all saw what happened. The position of a national organiser is very critical, more so when the party�s constitution places an obligation on the organiser to develop appropriate campaign messages for the party, in collaboration with the communications director.� According to a campaign strategist, John Boadu �possesses a cross-sectional appeal and can therefore appeal to people from all walks of life, in addition to the fact that he is well-disposed to create a more positive image for the party as an excellent communicator, with excellent inter-personal skills.� Hopeson Adorye Hopeson Adorye is currently a member of the communications team of the NPP, a leading member of the Young Patriots, and a former Constituency Secretary of the NPP in the Kpone Katamanso constituency. He has stated he is gunning for the National Organizer slot of the party, primarily because he wants to become the leader of the NPP�s grassroots in order to wrestle power from the NDC in 2016. The Young Patriots member is certain his candidature will be preferred by the party members and supporters. �I am contesting for National position. I�m going for the National Organizer of New Patriotic Party�I want to offer myself to the party so that I can work hard to consolidate victory in 2016. I can do this because as a Director of Operations for Young Patriots, 2012 elections, we toiled in all the ten regions. Most of the people know what we did, our capabilities and all that,� he has said. According to him, the position demands a person who is undaunted by the circumstances of life, for which he is unmatched. �As Organizer, you need someone who is bold and fearless. Those qualities I think I have it. I am result-oriented person,� he indicated. He has pledged to strengthen the party at the grass roots and also encourage polling station executives to work assiduously to clinch victory for the NPP, come 2016.