Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Lante Vanderpuye has said his colleague Minister for Trade and Industry, Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah is too advanced in age to qualify to contest the Flagbearer position of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for election 2020.
According to him, the NDC is not a party that entertains old persons leading the party as its Presidential candidate which is in sharp contrast with the practice of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Outgoing President Mahama led the NDC to a resounding defeat during the December 7 elections. While the NPP’s Akufo-Addo won the popular votes in six regions, representing 53.85 of the total valid votes cast, President Mahama polled 44.40 percent.
Few days after the NDC’s defeat, party stalwats begun proposing that the President be retained as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2020 elections.
Persons such as the Ashanti Regional Minister and Deputy Minister of Power, Alexander Ackon and John Jinapor have publicly expressed their conviction that the NDC will be able to better organize itself for the 2020 elections with President Mahama as leader.
Some have said Hon. Spio Garbrah who once contested the NDC Flagbearership slot is still nursing a presidential ambition and will want to contest again to see if he’ll be lucky to achieve his dream.
Speaking to Bola Ray on Starr Chat on Starr FM Wednesday, Hon. Nii Lante Vanderpuye who’s also the Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo stated that Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah should he have any presidential ambition will remain a dream because the NDC will settle for a person younger in age.
“Age is not on his side, it’s very important for us as a party that if were choosing a Presidential candidate we should look at who we choose. I think he’s more than 60 years. With NDC we’ll choose somebody who can be there for eight years. That’s what we’ll be looking at. ”
Hon. Nii Lante Vanderpuye was confident the NDC will soon embark on a reorganization drive to energize the base of the party to ready it to wrestle power from the NPP come election 2020.
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