I’m not a failure – Sir John

The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, who is popularly known as Sir John, believes he has done enough to retain his position.

Even though the Supreme Court affirmed the election of John Dramani Mahama as President, Sir John believes he won the election for the NPP.

He was optimistic of retaining his position as General Secretary of the party in spite of stiff opposition from the likes of Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Kwabena Agyepong and Captain Nkrabeah Effah Dartey (Rtd).

“Let those who say we did not win and who now want us to come to power go and tell the constituents and the polling stations that we did not win. I am saying that we won with all of them and the evidence in court demonstrated clearly that we won the elections,” he said in an interview with DAILY GUIDE.

Having noticed some challenges in the 2012 elections, Mr. Owusu-Afriyie said, “I believe that I am in a very good stead to be able to get us the 2016 power that we all yearn for.

“I have no doubt in my mind that we will win the 2016 elections.

“Having led the party so far to victory in the 2012 elections, I believe that I will be given the mandate to continue the good job together with the rank and file of the party to wrestle the stolen power in 2016,” he insisted. Pride

“I do so because there is a need for a voice in order that I might gain the majority of the people to support us to win elections and that is why I behave that way.

“Not that I’m stupid, not that I’m a fool but because the majority of our people need hope, so I bring hope to the hopeless, joy to people who are mourning. I’ve shed the suits and tires and gone down to the gutter to defend this party and I think that that is what the party needs even at this moment,” he emphasized.

Apart from that, he said, “I speak for all the party members, especially the underdogs in our party; those who are not in the intellectual group.

“It is not for nothing that they have massively endorsed my candidature because they believe that I am the one and only person they can come to the office and tell me their issues and I will have a listening ear for them.

Bane

He criticized contenders he termed ‘unifiers’ for creating the impression that there was a rift in the party, saying “the party is not asunder, we are not fighting each other. We are one and one body.”

Sir John stated that “some people are afraid of the strength that I bring; they would have wished that I would not go again so that it would make life easy for them.

“I am contesting and I am confident that with God on my side, victory shall be ours.

“I believe that they all have something to bring to the table; they have their unique strengths and that is what the party requires.

That notwithstanding, Sir John said “at the end of the day, there can only be one champion and that is Sir John.