One of the candidates hoping to lead the opposition NDC in the 2020 elections, Stephen Atubiga, has emphasised his readiness to lead the party noting that it is his time to be President.
The popular NDC commentator considered an underdog by many, insists he feels confident about his chances and is amazed by the show of support from friends and well wishes in that regard.
“My friends, my followers, they championed my ambition, they put it out there. I didn’t know about the ads. So after talking to them, I was like wow, if I have the ambition to lead the country and people believe in me and they go ahead and champion my campaign why don’t I embrace the challenge and run” he asserted
Atubiga believes, “this is my time.” Insisting “wanting to lead the country is a call, to serve the country people shouldn’t think I just got up one day, ate a big bowl of TZ and decided I want to be a President”
He argues he is the best groomed and well-trained potential candidate of the NDC because “I was born into a political family. My biological father was an MP from 1992-2000. His kid brother, Mathias Atubiga was in parliament with Ackaah, Kufuor, Obed Asamoah. They were all in parliament together during Lehman’s regime… and in Nkrumah’s time, my grandfather was a member of council”
He highlighted his association with the party and stressed “I am blessed to be part and parcel with NDC, my father who is also a founding member in the Upper East has served the party. I have served the party in my own small way”
“I believe that psychologically I am ready, strength wise I am ready, knowing what it takes to be a president I am ready, knowing what the president needs, I am ready, knowing what to do to pull this nation forward, I am ready” he observed.
Stephen Atubiga rubbished claims that he stood no chance against some of the names being speculated as likely contenders including former president Mahama asserting that “I stand taller than all of them and I want people to know that it takes a lot of guts.”
He touted his chances disclosing “I have been across the nation, I know the terrain more than them, I have been to the hinterland the villages and interacted with them. I have been there for them more than all of them, I know how to build the relationship with the people, I know how to pull the party along as a leader, and I know the plans I have to be able to run this country and for NDC to win the elections. It is just at my fingertips”
Stephen Atubiga’s rise to fame perhaps is to be credited to the 2013 Supreme Court Hearing of the election petition when he was handed a mitigated sentence of three days’ imprisonment for incendiary comments he made on radio.
The NDC since losing power in 2016 in a humiliating fashion to the governing NPP has been characterised by infighting and misunderstanding over who leads the party in the 2020 elections.
Former President Mahama, Former Trade Minister, Ekow Spio Garbrah, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin have been linked to the flagbearership race of the opposition NDC