The emergence of the a former Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon Samuel Sarpong, on the list of aspirants for the regional chairmanship position of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has given a new twist to the contest in their upcoming elections.
The contest, which hitherto was a two-horse race between Mr. Joseph Yamin and Augustus Nana Akwasi, with the former leading in terms of popularity, has now turned Mr Sarpong, who has been the toast of the rank-and-file of the NDC across the country, says he has come to give the party the leadership it deserves in the region.
Mr Sarpong who is the immediate past Managing Director of the State Housing Company Limited confirmed rumours of his interest in the Ashanti regional chair position to Today on Thursday, November 9, 2017 adding that he would pick forms when the nominations open.
The time has come, he noted, for him to heed the call by numerous supporters in the Ashanti Region to lead the party.
According to him, having weighed the options and carefully studied the outpour of support from top party members across the country it was prudent that he leads the party and make it more formidable going into the 2020 election.
Many supporters of the NDC, especially in the Ashanti Region, were on radio and social media months back announcing Mr Sarpong’s interest in the regional chairmanship race, a decision he flatly denied at the time.
However, he told Today that the decision to contest has not come that easy since he had decided to take a long rest from public service since his mandatory retirement was due.
He noted that the time was not right for him to declare such an intent since his retirement in public service was what was on his mind.
“I was initially reluctant to buy into the idea of contesting the party’s chairmanship position in Ashanti since my retirement from public service was near and I had a lot to think about the next phase of my life,” Dr Sarpong noted.
Dr Sarpong, who turned 60 years last week Thursday, indicated his desire to make the NDC attractive and thus appealed to the people of the Ashanti Region.
According to him, it was time to ran the party differently and brand it in a manner that will make it the most attractive party in Ashanti.
This, he said, demanded the infusion of vibrancy and the recruitment of more youth into the party’s internal set-up.
Interestingly, the confirmation of his intention to contest the position has sparked wild cheers across the NDC groups and WhatsApp platforms as many are beginning to sense a massive come back for the NDC.
Story: From James Appiakorang Jnr., Kumasi, Ashanti Region