674
Barring any last minute hitches, the New Patriotic Party has about 8months to elect new executives to lead the party to the 2024 general elections.
Even before the campaign officially starts, a former Chairman of the party in Fomena, a constituency in the Ashanti Region has called on aspirants to defy any threat of intimidation from incumbent executives.
During his submission on Angel FM’s flagship program, Angel in the Morning, hosted by Kwame Tanko(KT), Mr Akwasi Anti Asamoah, the immediate past chairman who made the call, served notice of the grassroots and delegates readiness to resist in equal measure any attempt by the incumbents to scare aspirants from contesting.
The warning comes in the wake of alleged plans by some regional executives of the party to use ‘vicious and crude propaganda’ to intimidate aspirants, as part of a plot to restrain them from contesting.
“No one can intimidate us in this region; we are above that. Those making noise here and there, we know. And I want to state that elections are not won by noise making and intimidation. We’ve been in this region for a long time and have played key roles in electing executives. See, I made Wontumi win the regional Chairman he’s enjoying today. And so when it’s time for others to contest, they should do so without intimidation from anyone.’’
Sounding alarmed, he cautioned the national leadership of the party of the impending 2024 elections, adding that it’s one of the ‘most crucial’ elections in the history of the country.
‘’Winning the 2024 elections is a must for the NPP. Therefore, we need strategic leadership especially in the Ashanti region who can garner votes for the party. Not leaders who will go about breaking the 8 with lip service.’’
In expressing hope that the delegates would elect competent leaders in the region, he announced his intentions to contest the second vice chairman of the party.
‘’Let me use this opportunity to officially make public my intentions to contest the 2nd Vice Chairman position. I’m fit to contest regional chairman position but one of the finest, influential and very strategic politician in our party- Odeneho Kwaku Appiah is the race with two others. It’ll be a fierce contest he added.
On 31st December, 2020, Mr. Asamoah, resigned from his position as chairman on health grounds.
In a statement, he explained that having served the NPP in various roles and capacities since 1992: Ward Youth Organizer, Ward Chairman, Youth Organizer, Constituency Chairman, it is time he takes ‘a bow and allow others to serve the party’.
He however gave the assurance of supporting the party in every capacity and “consolidating the gains made since the formation of the NPP” despite his resignation.
