Former Deputy Communication Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, has confirmed he will contest the General Secretary position of the party.
He becomes the first to publicly declare his intention to challenge the incumbent Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popular called Sir John.
There are also speculations that former presidential spokesperson in the erstwhile Kufuor administration, Kwabena Agyapong, is another possible contender for the post.
Sir John has also declared his intention to seek re-elections at the party’s upcoming delegates’ congress, but despite intense lobbying to get him to contest, Kwabena Agyapong is yet to announce his decision.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah stated emphatically that he is the best man for the job.
According to him, being a General Secretary of the NPP is about results not oratory hence will work assiduously to ensure the NPP wins the 2016 elections.
“I bring on board courage and strength to fight for unity in order to achieve power” Buabeng stressed.
He underscored the need for the NPP to be very attractive especially to floating voters to boost its electoral fortunes.
Conceding that he will face stiff competition from the incumbent Sir John, Buabeng Asamoah was optimistic the delegates “who are the king makers will endorse [him] at congress”.
He said he is tried, tested and battle ready to take up the mantle and project the NPP in a friendly and positive light.
Commenting on the factionalism in NPP, he said “democracy is built on factionalism. Without the factions rubbing against each other, there will be no consensus for nation building”.
He noted that the factions within the NPP are healthy and promote divergent views to help keep the party on track.
Buabeng Asamoah called for a healthy competition devoid of insults for a unified front in 2016.