A former Local Government Minister in the Kufuor administration Capt. (Rtd) Nkrabea Effah Dartey has joined the race to contest General Secretary position of the NPP. The man who gained popularity for his 'matwen awurade enim' signature-tune during a failed attempt to contest as the party's flagbearer in 2007 told Joy News he is "under pressure" from several party faithfuls nationwide to contest for the prized position in Ghana's largest opposition party. Incumbent NPP General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie also known as Sir John will now face fierce competition for his job at the party”™s congress slated for next year. Kwabena Agyapong former press secretary to President Kufuor and Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, spokesperson for the NPP legal team in the 2012 presidential election petition are also interested in the post. The former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Berekum said he began considering his chances after a cross-section of party executives in Brong-Ahafo region came to his house to convince him to contest. The party executives were returning from a funeral, he added. The 60 years old retired army officer was disqualified from contesting the flagbearship in December 2007 when he was found to have been convicted of a criminal offence after joining a mutiny. He was sentenced on May 31, 1981 and subsequently pardoned after the military junta was overthrown by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC). But the former aspirant said he was "erroneously" disqualified from that race but decided to keep quiet. He noted that the criteria for General Secretary is different from that of flagbearer and believes reasons for the disqualifications will not hold in his bid for General Secretary. The one-time presidential aspirant of the NPP said he has enough national appeal because he is a known figure in the party. Nonetheless the position, of General Secretary is about "who can do the job", Effah-Dartey noted. Effah-Dartey placed third with 431 votes when he contested the same position in 2010. He lost out to Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie who got 2,386 votes. The lawyer says he is consulting senior members in the party to finally take a decision whether to "abandon the court room" and "plunge into full-time party politics.