Accra NPP Wants Early Congress
3/12/2010 11:08:20 AM -
THE LEADERSHIP of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Greater Accra Region has demanded that, as a matter of urgency, the party must immediately elect a flag-bearer for the 2012 presidential election.
The regional chairman; Ishmael Ashittey, his vice; Gladys Deed Mann, and the all constituency chairpersons in the region accordingly issued a unanimous resolution yesterday requesting that the national executive stop dragging its feet over the matter and rather fast-track the process of electing a flag-bearer.
“This is action time, and we need to do our work as a political party in opposition. We need to kick-start the campaign for the next election but we need a presidential candidate and we need it now”, Ishmael Ashittey told the assembly of constituency chairpersons who appeared fired-up in Accra yesterday.
The regional chairman's comments were endorsed by the Abokobi-Madina Chairman, S. O. Darko, who explained that the perceived factionalism within the party will be quenched only when it gets a flag-bearer; thus the longer it takes the NPP to get a flag-bearer, the wider apart it falls.
Chairman for Ledzokuku, Mr. Boye seconded S.O. Darko's motion just before all the chairpersons present gave an acclamation that indeed they are in absolute support of an early congress to elect the flag-bearer.
Interestingly, the demand of the Greater Accra leadership of the NPP has been the song on the lips of the National Chairman; Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, since he was voted into office a fortnight ago.
Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey had pledged, even in his maiden speech and subsequent deliveries, to get his colleague executive officers to give the NPP a presidential candidate within the shortest possible time.
His pledge is however yet to be honored as the NPP has not even opened nominations for the presidential primaries.
So far, about five persons are reported to have expressed interest in being the party's flag-bearer, but two dominating names in the grapevine are those of the 2008 flag-bearer; Nana Akufo-Addo, and his main challenger in the 2007 NPP flag-bearership contest, former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen.
By Halifax Ansah-Addo
