A Presidential staffer in charge of operations at the castle, Nii Lante Vanderpuije, last Friday gave a religious account of himself when, he could not, but weep uncontrollably and in the end asked God to do something new in his life. The occasion was a press conference shortly after picking his nomination form to contest for the Ododiodiodio constituency seat in the Greater Accra Region for the National Democratic Congress in the upcoming primaries for the party in the constituency. Not satisfied with the intermittent praise and worship that characterized the opening ceremony of the press conference, the one-time sports commentator led the gathering to sing the popular hit gospel song by Cindy Thompson, “Something New In My life,” and broke down in tears to the amazement of the over 1,500 supporters and media men who had gathered for the press conference. When he succeeded in wiping his tears and sought to address the gathering, he first said the tears were as a result of feelings which engulfed him after seeing the numerous supporters who had stood to help him go to Parliament and that he was moved by the massive support. The support, which was evident in the number of enthusiastic supporters who were clad in Tee Shirts, embossed with his image, span from the Muslim community, the clergy, traditional practitioners, businessmen and women. His decision to contest, he told the gathering, was due to the numerous calls by the constituents who think he will be a better candidate than the current sitting Member of Parliament, Nii Tackie Commey, whom he said he supported in 2008 to run. The ambitious sounding Nii Lante expects nothing except a 75% victory at the primaries, saying it is a turning number for the least number of votes to be garnered by President Mills in the 2012 elections. “2012 is over because I have not seen and been shown these unprecedented love and support in the life of the Ododiodiodio constituency,” he said. According to him, he cannot afford to turn the people down who have recognized his good works in the constituency and in the party. Nii Lante Vanderpuye is seen generally as a good and generous politician by the constituents and is credited with the beautification of the Zongo Lane area with concrete slabs and the sponsoring of some Muslims to Mecca which forms the reason for which countless party members besiege his office at around the Central Business District for assistance on daily basis. Nii Lante once contested the primaries but had to step down in 1996 and again in 2003 elected but stepped down for Nii Ayi Quaye Mankata. During open forum, when he was asked if he was seeking to go to Parliament because of the fear of the NDC losing the 2012 election, he played it down and rather said it was to increase the stock of NDC MPs. He stressed not having any bad blood between him and the incumbent Nii Tackie Commey, maintaining all the support he is enjoying is pure confidence the people have in him and not monetary influence. “How much can I give all these people you are seeing here? Some are businessmen. This man you are seeing seated by me is a proprietor of a school,” he countered. The climax of the event was when popular boxer and arguably Ghana's hilarious comedian, Brimah Kamoko, who is also known as Bukom Banku, rescinded his decision to go independent and declared his support for Nii Lante Vanderpuye.