I’ll win NPP chair slot - Amoako Baah

Retired political science lecturer Richard Amoako Baah has said he is certain of annexing the chairmanship of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) during its national delegates’ conference next year.

The outspoken professor, a fierce critic of the erstwhile Mahama administration, made known his intention to replace suspended Paul Afoko as party chair in 2018 earlier in the week.

The position is currently occupied by First National Chair Freddie Blay, who has acted in that capacity since Mr Afoko and two other national executives were removed from office for acts deemed to be inimical to the chances of Mr Akufo-Addo in the 2016 polls.

Speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on Wednesday July 19, Dr Amoako Baah said he thought deeply about the move and “consulted” leading figures in the NPP before going public with his decision, confident of his chances of becoming NPP chair.

“I know I will win that’s why I’m running, otherwise I wouldn’t run. It’s not because I want to be known, I know I will win. And I also know that I can help the party’s fortunes, it’s the main reason why I am running,” the political historian told show host Chief Jerry Forson.

He dismissed the idea by some persons within the party for non-office holders to be barred from contesting executive positions and argued it undermined the very tenet upon which the NPP was founded.

“We either want democracy or we do not want it. Freddie Blay has done his part, he’s done well. That’s it, but it doesn’t mean one person [should be allowed to contest]. Then we had better quit the democracy,” he added.

Dr Amoako Baah said people may have ideas that may be better than an incumbent and which they can only implement when they are given the opportunity to contest and win elections to bring about an “improvement”.

He said should he become chairman, he would seek the counsel of Stephen Ntim, Freddie Blay and other experienced hands in the NPP to run a “more effective” administration.