Group throws weight behind Stephen Ntim

A group calling itself the Time Aso Movement has thrown its weight behind Mr Stephen Ayesu Ntim, one of the aspirants for the position of chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), describing him as the best candidate to lead the party into victory in the 2020 election and beyond.

According to the group, the key determinants of the campaign for chairmanship of the party were competence, dedication, long service, loyalty and hard work.

Mr Ntim, the group concluded, was the perfect embodiment of those attributes and, therefore, the perfect candidate for the position.

“Ours is a movement that believes in rewarding competence, dedication, long service, loyalty and hard work,” the group maintained.

Addressing a press conference in Accra last Tuesday, the Convener of the group, Nii Boye Abbey, said the group was national in character with membership drawn from all the regions and constituencies across the country.

Rewarding loyalists

Nii Abbey said the NPP had thrived for over 20 years as a political party because of the dedication and commitment of its founding fathers, patriarchs and men of integrity.

Those patriarchs, he added, had been consistent in attending party functions and paying dues; and had served the NPP very diligently over the decades, hence it was time and very proper to acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate them accordingly.

“It is paramount that we show concern and remain faithful to them and for us to be able to recognise these people, we need party faithful who know our tradition and are very conversant,” he stressed.

The decision to support Mr Ntim, the group said, was irrevocable.

“As young people of this party, we are happy to be associated with him for his selfless dedication to the party. This is the man who never abandons the party in the face of staggering difficulties. He is our man for the position of national chairman of the NPP and we are calling on all well-meaning NPP delegates to support him for victory 2020 and beyond,” it stated.

The Time Aso group was of the view that “in times like this, we need the likes of Chairman Ntim to sustain power for the NPP over a long period of time”.

The group described him as a grassroots person who could explain issues to party members and a loyalist who knew and was also known by all the founder and hardworking members.

It recalled incidents between 2001 and 2004 when he served as the national first vice chairman, saying it was on record that the work he and the other executive members did ensured that the party retained power in 2004.

So for them, it was time again to elect Mr Ntim to help the NPP in retaining power come 2020.

His role in the 2016 election

Nii Abbey recounted the record of Mr Ntim as being a three-time candidate for the chairmanship of the NPP, contesting with Messrs Mac Manu, the late Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and Paul Afoko.

In all those instances, the group pointed out, he was second to the others but still worked relentlessly to push President Nana Addo Dankwa  Akufo-Addo to victory in 2016.