'Jake’s indecision made me run against him'

Chairman Aspirant of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Fred Oware, has told XYZ News he decided to run against his boss because he (Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey) was hitherto indecisive about seeking re-election.

“I think you need to ask him how many times he said he would offer to run and how many times he also told us that he wasn’t going to run”, Mr Oware told XYZ News’ Osei Owusu Amankwaah at the party’s headquarters on Monday.

He said Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey told him (Oware) personally on several occasions, as well as announced at a council meeting once that he would not seek re-election, thus his (Oware’s) decision to enter the race.

Mr Oware, who is the current first Vice Chairman of the party is contesting Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey at the party’s national executive elections scheduled for March 1, 2014 together with business man Paul Afoko and twice-failed Chairman Aspirant Stephen Ntim.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey told TV3’s Hot Issues on Saturday that he did not expect his first Deputy to contest him.

“…Initially what I heard was that he [Oware] was doing it because he said I had told him that I was not going to contest, ok, or misheard me, ok, and he told me that if I was going to contest then he wouldn’t”, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said.

“So I corrected him and told him that I’m sorry, whatever he heard was obviously a miscommunication but I’m going to contest’. Subsequently I expected that he will not contest but even the bug bites you. You decide that you too you want to be boss small so it’s ok, there’s not a problem with it”. He said Mr Oware “…has to come now and say what it was that he would have done had he been chairman or what it is that he’s going to come and do once he’s chairman, then the party will judge”.

Mr Oware told Asempa FM’S Ekosii sen political programme on Tuesday that though he bears Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey no grudges, he felt it was necessary to clear the air on the matter so as not to be seen as a man lacking credibility and trustworthiness.