The battle for NPP General Secretary slot appears to be getting keener with the emergence of Richard Ahiagbah who is currently strengthening his grassroots campaign to unseat Acting General Secretary and General Secretary hopeful John Boadu.
Described as someone who is down-to-earth and a grassroot politician, Richard Ahiagbah made time to tour the Northern Region as part of his campaign.
The aspiring general secretary met with party executives in the Tamale North and Sagnerigu constituencies where the message was succinct yet clear..."I have come to serve the grassroots on whose back the NPP rode to power in 2016".
The party executives lamented the general neglect of the grassroots and appealed to Mr.Ahiagbah to be a different leader in order to help regenerate and inspire confidence in the party's grassroots.
The General Secretary hopeful pledged to be a true leader as he is campaigning. He disclosed that he has plans to make the grassroots the centre of his administration when he wins. He believes leaders must serve and not be served.
He says it's an indictment on the party for the grassroots to harbour the perception that they have been 'used and dumped' and promised to work to correct that perception.
"We cannot allow that to happen, not now, not ever in the NPP. It is important to correct this perception and others like it because they are recipes for apathy which risk the party's chances in 2020. I have a grassroot vision. It is a vision to cure and restore as well as win the loyalty of the grassroots of the party," he emphasized rather emotionally.
He appealed to the people to support and market his vision to build a grassroot-focused party where leadership will be serving the grassroots instead of the other way round.
Richard Ahiagbah in the company of the Northern Regional Director of Communications of the NPP and other party executives also visited and interacted with members of Burma Camp Network, a very popular and active youth wing of the NPP in Tamale.
The group declared their unflinching support for the candidature of Ahiagbah and believe it will be a disservice to the NPP if he does not win to lead the NPP as General Secretary. They promised to support his campaign even outside the region at no cost. They reiterated the fact that no candidate they have ever supported has lost an election.
Richard Ahiagbah is an American based politician from Aflao in the Ketu South District of the Volta Region. He is the Communication Director of the Chicago Chapter of the NPP and a member of the NPP-USA Communication team. He appears regularly on TV and radio as a panelist for the party.
He is currently leading a three-member committee to develop a strategic plan for NPP-USA communication team.
In 2016, Richard served as the Diasporan Mobilization Coordinator. In 2012, he got a consultancy firm in USA to support the field campaign of the party. In 2012, he participated in a fundraising campaign with now Vice President Dr Bawumia in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2016, he supported and led many fundraising efforts to enable the Chicago Chapter to fund its adopted constituency, Asutifi South.
He has worked on several US Presidential, congressional and state campaigns and has gathered vast experience.
He believes the Lord is able and a vote for him is a vote for the way forward together.