NPP must unite for power — Joe Ghartey

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joe Ghartey, has called on members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to focus on unity to win the 2016 Election.

In his view, whether there was an internal contest or not, the NPP had no other choice than to unite for electoral victory. 

Speaking to the Daily Graphic on why he dropped out of the NPP presidential race, the Essikado-Ketan legislator said he was voluntarily excusing himself from the race and that the decision was a personal one.

Messrs Joe Ghartey and Francis Addai Nimoh grabbed 22 votes each, representing 2.9 per cent of total votes cast at the Special Electoral College of the NPP last Sunday.

The same college, however, overwhelmingly endorsed the candidature of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2012 presidential candidate of the party, with 598 votes, representing over 80 per cent, Mr John  Alan Kwadwo  Kyerematen trailed second with 59 votes, representing 7.9 per cent of the votes, while Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw came fifth with a total of 14 votes.

Mr Ghartey promised that  “we are all going to work for the NPP to come back to power."

He reminded members of the NPP of the party’s key objective, which is to win the 2016 elections.

“We should not by our action or inaction do anything that will create division; we must at all times unite for power,” he admonished.

When pushed whether he would contest future presidential elections, Mr Ghartey simply stated that “God’s time is the best.”