An aspiring National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Stephen Ntim, has stated that the ruling party would rule the country beyond the year 2024.

He has, therefore, assured delegates and party members that, when given the nod, he would rejuvenate the party and make it more attractive to retain the government in power beyond 2024. This, he noted, would enable the government to deliver on priority development projects, especially, those promised in their manifesto to the admiration of all Ghanaians.

Mr. Ntim explained that he is particularly not happy about the eight-year term limit for presidents, arguing that this has created a perception that a party has to be in government for an eight-year period for another to take its turn, in spite of the fact that the government in power might be performing excellently.

To this end, he appealed to delegates of the NPP to vote massively for him to enable him ensure that the party rules up to 2024 and beyond.

According to him, he has served the party with profound loyalty, and that the delegates should reward him by voting massively for him, as has been the tradition of the party – to reward loyalty. He further asserted that the NPP has adopted a tradition of rewarding loyalty, which is not necessarily stated in their manifesto, but helps motivate members and encourage loyalty among them.

This, he noted, was evident when the party invoked this unwritten tradition for former President J.A. Kufuor when he stood elections for two terms, making and retaining him as the President on those occasions.

The current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Mr. Ntim recalled, was also rewarded for his loyalty, commitment and hard work, as he stood for election to become the president on three occasions and was rewarded.

He, therefore, maintained that the time had come for him (Stephen Ntim) to also be rewarded, and that delegates would vote massively for him, given that he had also contested for the National Chairmanship position three times.

Mr. Ntim expressed hope during his four-day campaign tour of the Volta Region at separate meetings with NPP delegates in all the 25 constituencies that he was confident that they still cherished these traditions and values of the party, and that they would vote for him as the National Chairman, to enable him continue his “planned agenda that would successfully make the NPP remain in government up to 2024 and beyond.”

“Our party delegates, I know, still cherish loyalty, commitment, and hard work. I have no doubt that if loyalty, dedication to serving the party, and hard work are still our tradition and values that we cherish so much, then delegates would have no other option than to vote for Stephen Ntim as the National Chairman of the NPP,” he stressed.

Mr. Ntim continued that when elected, he would continue with his constituency office building project for all constituencies across the country, saying that the project was initiated when he was the First National Vice Chairman of the NPP, and is aimed at ensuring that the difficulties associated with the party using rented apartments as constituency offices would become a thing of the past.

He again assured the delegates that when given the mandate, he would work closely with all organs of the party, including the Presidency, to ensure that common challenges confronting the party at all levels are removed, to pave way for the NPP to become a political party of choice to many Ghanaians, and to enable it remain in power for long and bring the needed development to the people.

The delegates, who responded to his statement by clapping and shouting yes, said they would not deviate from their tradition, saying “time asooo, time aso” meaning ‘time is up’, literally indicating that it is the time for the aspiring National Chairman to lead the party.

They further told the candidate that due to his commitment and hard work, his name has become a household name in all the constituencies in the Volta Region, pledging to vote for him.

The delegates further stated that they had not forgotten the numerous contributions and support of the candidate to the party at all levels, and further reminded him of the office materials he always provided for the national, regional and constituency offices across the country, including complimentary cards for all party officials up to the constituency level.

The Volta regional delegates of the NPP further told Mr. Ntim that they had decided ahead of time to vote for him, and that there was no need for him to use his little resources going round talking to them, because they are aware of the fact that he invested his resources into the party, even when the party was not in power, therefore, they (delegates) would reward him by electing him as National Chairman.

Mr. Ntim is a 59-year-old man, who held the position of First National Vice Chairman of the ruling NPP. He is a businessman, who, according to the delegates, stands tall among the other contestants.