The impending Ashanti Regional Chairmanship race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) promises to be hotter and expected to be keenly contested when nominations open in May.
The former Asokwa Constituency Chairman, Mr. Robert Asare Bediako, has firmly declared his intention to contest for the position when nominations open.
Mr. Asare Bediako’s bid brings to five the contestants for the chairmanship position.
The other contestants are the incumbent, Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Chairman Wontumi; Mr. Odeneho Kwaku Appiah aka COKA; Oheneba Kofi Adum Bawuah, and Kwabena Owusu-Aduomi, the former Ejisu Member of Parliament (MP).
Mr. Asare Bediako, 67, used to be the longest serving NPP Constituency Chairman in the Ashanti Region, spanning six terms over 24 years before he decided to contest the Regional Chairmanship slot in 2018, only to step down from the contest at the eleventh hour.
He has held several key positions in the party, including Chairman of the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairmen Association and member of the NPP Conflict Resolution Team in the region, and worked tirelessly towards making the party attractive and strong over the years.
Mr. Asare Bediako has promised to unite the rank and file of the party, especially at the grassroots level, to make victory in the 2024 elections a matter of course.
The aspirant told The Chronicle that he was prepared and determined to work for the NPP to continue to benefit from his rich experience.
The astute politician said his agenda was to unite the NPP, make it stronger and attractive so that floating voters would join the party to ensure a resounding victory, come 2024, and indicated that if he was given the nod by the delegates, he would ensure that the party members, supporters and sympathisers were energised to voluntarily work for the NPP to grow from strength to strength.
Mr. Asare Bediako said the NPP needed to be made more vibrant and united in the region, hence, his bid to bring on board all experienced members to help consolidate the fortunes of the party. He gave an assurance to encourage and empower all members and supporters at all levels to make effective contributions to the growth of the party.
The former Asokwa Chairman said: “My concern is to see the party (NPP) in unity in the region,” and advised delegates to ensure that efficient and effective leaders were elected to enable the NPP stand the test of ‘Breaking the 8’ in Election 2024.
The former Chairman of the Ashanti Region NPP Chairmen Association has, however, condemned the politics of insults and insinuations while canvassing for votes, since all contestants belong to the same NPP family, and called for decent campaigns by the aspirants and their followers to avoid politics of personal attacks and insults as much as possible.
He advocated ideas-based campaigns by all the aspirants, stating that he would set the pace by campaigning on the lines of concepts that would help move the party forward, as well as help safeguard the image of the NPP in the region.
The aspirant also advised all contestants at various levels to use their campaign platforms to tout the achievements of the President Akufo-Addo-led government, including the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme to bring more voters into the fold of the Elephant Party.
