Lawyer Anthony Namoo, the current Upper East Regional NPP Chairman seeking re-election has described his tenure as chairman as historic.
He said this when he spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show. Lawyer Namoo, giving this history explained that he has been the only chairman to have served a full term in office as chairman for the NPP in the Region since Alhaji Imoro Salifu completed two terms.
“I was never expected to be even around occupying the position up to now. There is a historical basis for this legitimate or illegitimate expectation.”
“In 1992, we had Imoro Salifu. He was the chairman in 1992, 1996, and 2000. He passed on in 2002. His 1st Vice-Chair, Mr. Ben, continued and finished the term for him. In 2005, Alhaji TUC from Navrongo was chosen as the Chairman. Unfortunately, he passed on before he could finish his term, so his 1st Vice-Chair, now DCE for Bawku West, Ahmed Issahaku Tahiru, took over and completed the term.”
“Fast forward to 2010, Chigabatia was selected as the chairperson but she had to resign and go and contest as Parliamentary Candidate for Builsa North. There again, her 1st Vice-Chair, Gabriel Asaana from Bawku continued and finished her term. As for the case of Adam Mahama, I think it is too fresh in everybody’s mind and we know what happened,” he explained.
Based on the history, Lawyer Namoo added that “this is the first time since Imoro Salifu completed his two terms, you have a chairman finishing his term. It is history.”
The incumbent Chairman suggested that even before the general election in 2020, persons who were interested in his seat as chairman, instead of helping galvanise the party for the election, began undermining his leadership in an attempt to cement their names with the delegates.
“Even before the general election, the actions and inactions of my other executives who wanted to contest me to take my position were legendary. It was been discussed in regional executive committee meetings. Instead of regional executives being solidly behind their chairman so that we can concentrate on the general election with the NDC, they were going round campaigning for themselves ahead of the election,” he said.
He added that “I know that God intends that I stay, do a first term in office and do another term in order to break the not too palatable situation.”
Delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region, in 2018, elected Lawyer Anthony Namoo as its new regional chairman. Mr Namoo polled 124 votes to beat his closest contender, Filson Awankua, who polled 88 votes.
Mr Mohammed Murtala, the incumbent who took over as regional chairman after the demise of Mr Adams Mahama in 2015, got 51 votes, while Alhaji Abdallah Otito Achuliwor had 30 votes. Joseph Agongo got five votes.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
