NDC Chairmanship race

Kwabena Adjei, Anang in serious contention
Posted: The Chronicle | Tuesday, November 17, 2009

By Charles Takyi - Boadu

Despite the names of Alhaji Huudu Yahaya and Accra-based Legal practitioner, Larry Adjetey, been bandied around as potential candidates for the National Chairmanship position of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), the contest seems to be heading for a straight fight between the incumbent Chairman, Dr. Kwabena Adjei and the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, Daniel Anang.
Though none of the above-mentioned individuals have openly declared their intentions to contest for the position, The Chronicle has picked up signals from the party’s headquarters that the duo have indeed expressed interest in contesting for the National chairman position.

However, the names of Huudu Yahaya, currently the second Vice Chairman of the party, and Larry Adjetey, son of the late Peter Ala Adjetey of blessed memory, former Speaker of Parliament, have been completely ruled out by party supporters who think they do not have a strong base (constituency) in the party to run for the position.

The two front-runners, Dr. Kwabena Adjei and Daniel Anang remain tight-lipped as to whether they would contest the position. On paper, Dr. Kwabena Adjei has all the trappings of incumbency and has also toured all the ten regions. It was during his tenure that the NDC won power in the last election.

Dr. Kwabena Adjei also enjoys a considerable number of support from most NDC Members in Parliament (MP), with whom he served as MP in the Jerry Rawlings’ era. This makes his chances brighter, but political observers and key party functionaries believe he will have a tough time in battling Daniel Anang, whose exploits and initiatives in the party has earned him the nickname -‘Millenium/Champion Chairman’.

Daniel Anang is, however, considered as a thorough-bred grass root party man, having risen through the ranks to various positions in the party, including Chairman of the Ledzokuku constituency and later the Greater Accra Regional Chairman.

Mr. Anang, at a time he was a constituency Chairman, was credited for single-handedly organising the various constituency Chairmen in the region to form an association to lobby for their collective interest, an initiative he later carried over the regional level by forming the Regional Chairmen Association with similar objectives.

Considering his extensive links with key and influential party executives, which trickles down to the grass root, Daniel Anang is seen as the person to pose a challenge to Kwabena Adjei’s ambitions.