NPP Elections: Charles Taylor Vies For 2nd Vice Chairman

Charles Taylor Quarshie, one-time special aide to Jake Otanka Obetsebi Lamptey, the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman, has announced plans to contest for the 2^nd Vice Chairmanship position of the party in the Greater Accra Region.

Charles Taylor, as he is popularly called in NPP circles, will be battling it out with four other contestants.

The aspirant, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, expressed optimism in winning the contest.

According to the 56-year-old politician, who has been with the NPP since its founding days, he will help the ruling party to consolidate its gains in the Greater Accra Region if given the nod.

“I have the experience and the track-record to help the NPP to maintain its performance in this region and I am determined to ensure it happens,” he said, adding that “party work demands commitment and sacrifice which I can show any day.”

Narrating how he joined the NPP, Charles Taylor said “during the PNDC era they arrested me for crimes I did not commit and kept me in jail so when multiparty democracy was introduced and the ban on political activities was lifted, I went straight to fraternize with the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition, whose ideals I thought, would make this country great.”

“I joined the NPP at the time it was almost a crime to associate with them because of the NDC's intimidating tactics in 1992 and I started at Abeka in Accra as the Acting Youth Organizer for Okaikoi North Constituency,” he said, adding “I held this position till 1994/1995 when I moved up.

He said he served as the constituency Organizer for 10 years (1995-2005) and helped the NPP to win the 2000 general elections.

Jake Factor
Touching on how he became a 'son' to Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, the aspirant said “in the heat of the 2000 election, I mounted an NPP platform at Lapaz to explain the party's policies in the Ewe dialect and Jake, after the rally, approached me and congratulated me for my eloquence and we started from there.”

He said after the rally, the NDC used National Security operatives to hound him for about three months, saying “luckily they could not succeed because then candidate Kufuor won the election and the harassment ceased.”

Charles Taylor said at a point he tried to become Regional Organizer but was defeated by Albert Afaglo.

“I went back to contest for the 2^nd Vice Chairmanship position in Okaikoi North and won, and when the constituency was demarcated to become Okaikoi North and Okaikoi Central, I was made acting chairman of Okaikoi Central.”

He said that he was among those who led the campaign to solicit building materials to renovate and extend portions of the party's National Headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra.

“I want the delegates to trust me with the NPP in the Greater Accra Region, and I will never let the party down,” he declared.

By William Yaw Owusu