|
Mac Manu faces stiff opposition in NPP
By Abdul Salam Sule
Accra, May 28, Ghanadot - The
opposition New Patriotic Party has seven months from now to hold
a delegates conference to choose new officers to steer the
affairs of the party. Many positions will be up for grab but the
one likely to be hotly contested is that of the national
chairman of the party.
Currently, Mr Peter Mac Manu is the party's
national chairman and there is an indication that he will
contest for the same position again.
But information available to Ghanadot has it that, Mr Mac Manu
will face a stiff challenge from some party heavyweights, Jake
Obetsebi Lamptey and Ama Busia.
Also in the contest is the man who lost the
chairmanship by a slim margin to Mac Manu in December 2005, Mr
Stephen Ntim. Also in the race is Mr Kwame Pianim, a founding
member of the New Patriotic Party and one time Presidential
aspirant.
However, there is a potentially controversial proposal to cut
the number of contestants to three for all national executive
offices. This is among several constitutional amendments which
will be voted on by the party on July 17.
Investigations reveal that, though Mr Mac Manu commands
considerable goodwill with the party's rank and file, the defeat
by the party in the just ended 2008 elections could end his
tenure. Jake Obestebi Lamptey is expected to play the party's
defeat to his advantage and it is no wonder he currently enjoys
grassroots support and several of the people in the party
leadership are comfortable with him.
Jake Obetsebi Lamptey is considered in the party as conveniently
and positively predictable as a strategist because
of his vast experience in party management and campaign since
1979.
Madam Ama Busia, the sister of the late Prime Minister Kofi
Abrafa Busia is also enjoying some powerful patronage within the
party in her bid to contest the party's chairmanship.
But the man who could pull a surprise is Mr Stephen Ntim, former
Vice Chairman of NPP. He staged a colourful and effective
contest for the national chairmanship in 2005 and came close to
pulling it off. Mr Ntim is to be watched because he has been the
longest on the ground working strategically and specifically to
chair the party and getting more support base in that process.
Ghanadot can confirm that all aspirants for the chairmanship
position are seriously campaigning
and that you can
count on the delegates to come
out with their verdict at the next .
Ghanadot
|
