A National Chairman aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Stephen Ayesu Ntim, has called on the over 5,000 delegates attending the party’s national delegates conference in Tamale to pray for a successful conference.
In this connection, he asked for prayers for travelling mercy and an incident-free congress, which is scheduled for the Tamale Sports Stadium on Saturday, April 12, 2014.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in a telephone interview, he also appealed to all religious bodies to join the NPP to fast and pray on Friday so that God would direct delegates to choose credible officers to lead the party into the 2016 elections.
As the party gets ready for its crucial congress in the Northern Regional capital, the delegates are expected to elect nine national executive officers out of the 44 contesting candidates. All the candidates vying for the various positions are putting final touches to their campaigns across the country.
For the chairmanship, the incumbent, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, from the Greater Accra Region, is being challenged by Mr Stephen Ntim from the Brong Ahafo Region, business mogul, Mr Paul Afoko from the Upper East Region, and incumbent First Vice-Chairman, Mr Fred Oware, from the Central Region.
The three-time national chairman aspirant, who occupies the number two spot on the ballot paper, was confident that he would come out of the congress victorious since he had the assurance of the delegates.
He, therefore, urged the delegates to translate their pledges into votes on Saturday to enable him to win the chairmanship slot for NPP victory in 2016.
His involvement in the April 12, 2014 contest to become the National Chairman of the NPP marks Mr Stephen Ayesu Ntim’s third attempt, after serving a successful 4-year term of office that led to the NPP’s victory in election 2004, as the National First Vice-Chairman under Mr Harona Esseku from 2001 to 2005.
His first attempt at the chairmanship was in December 2005, and the second in February 2010.