The National Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey says he will be stupid to claim has no preferred candidate in the flag-bearer race of the party. He said as national chairman, he has a duty to work to bring the party back to power and that it would be completely outrageous for anybody to think that he does not have an idea as to who is a winning candidate. “If I turn around and say to people that I, as national chairman, do not have an idea of who I think would be the most winning candidate for us, I would be lying to you. The same would be true of my executive,” he told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah. Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said however, that his belief that a particular candidate is the best choice is not shared by other national officers of the party. That, according to him makes it absolutely impossible to manipulate the process of electing a flag-bearer for the party for the 2012 elections - contrary to the speculations being peddled by some of the aspirants. Representatives of four of the NPP flag-bearer aspirants – Alan Kyerematen, Isaac Osei, Prof. Kwabena Frimgpong Boateng, and Kwame Kodua last week raised red flags claiming that a grand scheme was being put in place to manipulate the electoral process in favour a particular candidate. The party chairman said their apprehensions were understandable because anybody who invests their time, energy and money in a competition, have every right to want to ensure that the process is fair and the managers of that process are impartial. He however maintained that the procedure they adopted to draw attention to their concerns was wrong and inconsistent with the party’s traditions. Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey assured all the five aspirants that the August 7, elections will be fair and transparent, insisting that the aspirants on their own must show good faith and believe in the capabilities of the Elections Committee of the party to effectively handle the elections. Play the attached audio and listen to Jake speaking on the Super Morning Show. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Joy News/Ghana