Who Is Fit For NPP Gen Sec�Agyepong, Y.B Or Sir John?

The intra-party battle currently going on in the opposition New Patriotic Party is becoming hotter and fiercer each passing week as aspirants for the post of General Secretary are stepping up their campaign. As it were, it is easy to know when and how a war begins but no one knows when it will end. Obviously, the contest is becoming more keener and the aspirants including the incumbent General Secretary believe the party must give them chance to lead them to victory in the 2016 general election. But a Member of Parliament from the Brong Ahafo Region has thrown a bombshell. He told this paper when asked about his assessment of the personalities who are campaigning for the position of General Secretary that none of the persons who have expressed interest in General secretary position possesses sufficient qualities to lead the party for the 2016 battle. �To date none of the three leading candidates, namely; Kwabena Agyepong, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah and incumbent General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afiriyie, is a self-sufficient leader with a set of all the sufficient qualities. Some are wiser purely from life experience and basic education, someone is more radical, Someone is more decisive. But no one has yet a complete set of the tools needed to become the general secretary to ensure victory for the party, with all due respect to them,� he said. The NPP will elect National Executive officers next March. The race for the general secretary is gathering momentum though the chairmanship contest will also draw some considerable attention looking at the number of individuals pursuing that position currently being occupied by Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey. Former presidential spokesperson Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, Kwadwo Owusu Afiriyie ,Kwaku Balado Manu and Nkreabea Effah Dartey are known personalities who have expressed their desire to contest for the position of General secretary. However, political analysts believed the contest is a straight battle among Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah and Kwadwo Owusu Afiriyie. It is unclear whether Nana Addo will support Sir John. In 2010, almost all the aspirants who were endorsed by the 2012 presidential candidate won with exception of Ms Christine Church. The MP who insists his identity be kept secret, said �for 2016 the party needs someone who is strong and dedicated to the NPP tradition. A party man who knows the party and person who can stand on his grounds. A strong character who will not be a push over by any of the power brokers and can also ensure discipline within the ranks of the party�. He points out that though Kwabena Agyepong looks ideal for the position of the General Secretary, he has to deal with the perception of arrogance. On Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, the lawmaker said, he is a fine gentleman but doubts his ability to stand against the machinations of the power brokers in the party. He asked �can YB stand against self-interest of the party elders� like Kufuor or Nana or Hackman or Alan? On Sir John, the MP said he would struggle to retain his position considering the fact that delegates have always voted against executives at national level who failed to deliver power to the party. Again on Sir John, he said, when he became General Secretary in 2010, he wanted to make the party look �ordinary� and in the process used expressions that were very uncharacteristic of the NPP general secretary which only appealed to small segment of the population. He failed to get the party along with him and in the process, he became a joker. The MP said he is worried about the fact that none of the leading contenders has sufficient qualities to lead the party to victory in 2016 though he feels either Kwabena Agyepong or Buabeng Asamoah would be better for the party.