Campaigning for NPP UER chairmanship heightens …as incumbent chairman is optimistic of victory despite stiff contest

The Upper East Regional Chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Anthony Namoo, has said he is confident of retaining his post at the forthcoming regional executive election in spite of stiff contest.

The legal practitioner who is seeking re-election, said his campaign was off to a brilliant start, and that he was cautiously upbeat about victory because his record as chairman for the past four years was phenomenal and the party’s faithful could attest to it.

Mr Namoo, who served as a Regional Financial Secretary before his elevation to the Chairman, said it was only people with selective myopia who were clamouring for a change in the status quo.

According to him, the contest was about track record, and some members of the party who were hell-bent on seeing him voted out would be disappointed because the discerning delegates had pledged to give him an overwhelming endorsement in recognition of his sterling leadership, magnanimity, generosity and charisma.

Mr Namoo was speaking on his chances in an interview with the Ghanaian Times in Bolgatanga.

The incumbent chairman said he was hopeful and confident of emerging  triumphant and victorious in the yet-to-be-held regional delegates conference, and advised delegates of the party to rescind any decision of tilting toward a change of leadership at the polls slated for May 28.

“My message to delegates is this: Although we did not make any significant impact in the last election, I have made the party visible in most constituencies in the region. In Binduri, Pusiga, Talensi, Builsa South and Bongo, we closed the gap in both presidential and parliamentary, and those places will become a battle ground for the two leading parties come 2024”, Mr. Namoo promised.

The chairman underscored the need for party enthusiasts in the region to refrain from trading blame because such an act would deepen further the already existing cracks of the party, and that according to him, would spell doom for the NPP at the 2024 general elections.

He also challenged his contenders to be decorous in their choice of words as they met delegates to ask for their votes, stressing that he had no qualms with the criticisms against him, therefore, any competitor or surrogate could scrutinise his achievements as regional chairman, without bias and malice.

He further charged the rank and file with the duty to project the party, explaining the major task was the general elections ahead of them, and, there was the urgent need for every dedicated member of the party to work diligently on putting the house in order to help the elephant’s fraternity in its bid to ‘break the eight’.

Other candidates who spoke with the Ghanaian Times, called for a change in the status quo.

Moses Abugre, a medical doctor by profession, said the party in the region was in ‘coma’ and its prospects could only be resuscitated by someone who had the humility to work closely with the grassroot.

“The party is in government, but it is in opposition in the Upper East Region. I want to take it to government in 2024″, the current regional 1st Vice Chairman for NPP promised, adding he was ‘covertly’ hopeful of emerging victorious in the race”, he emphasised.

Alhaji Bugri Ibrahim believed he was the best bet for the chairmanship slot because he had performed well to the admiration of supporters of the party in the region in his four-year tenure of office as 2nd Vice Chairman.

BY FRANCIS DABRE DABANG