Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has formally announced his candidacy for the position of National Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In a statement titled "Response to a Clarion Call," Dr. Abdul-Hamid revealed that his decision follows persistent appeals from the party’s rank and file to leverage his "institutional memory and strategic insight" for the NPP's collective revival.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid, a scholar and long-standing party stalwart, grounded his bid in a deep historical connection to the NPP. He noted that he was a founding member of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) branch of the party in 1992 and was present in Cape Coast during the historic transition from the Danquah-Busia Club to the NPP on May 18, 1992.
Reflecting on his decades of service, the former Information Minister highlighted a career "forged in the fire of battle". His credentials include serving as the party's first elected National Youth Organizer, a ten-year tenure as the spokesperson for then-candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, and a role as Deputy National Campaign Manager during the 2020 general elections.
"I have won some and lost some. I have the scars to show," Abdul-Hamid remarked, referring to previous unsuccessful bids for National Organizer and General Secretary in 2001 and 2005, respectively.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid emphasized that his ambition is not born of personal gain but a desire to "give back" to the party. He positioned himself as a strategic asset capable of supporting the eventual National Chairman with "intellectual firepower" to re-strategize and return the party to its "rightful place in leadership".
"The battle to recover our nation begins from within," the statement concluded, ending with a cryptic but bold warning: "The royal python may be good at hissing, but the scorpion's tail is fire".
