Danquah Smith Buttey, First Vice Chairperson of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is currently leading a crucial National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in the absence of the party’s National Chairman, Stephen Ayensu Ntim.
This follows a formal letter from Mr. Ntim’s family to the party’s Council of Elders requesting that the he(National Chairman) be temporarily excused from official duties due to medical reasons.
In the letter dated June 16, 2025, the family cited “cognitive dissonance and mental incapacitation” as grounds for their request, stressing that his continued involvement in party activities could further endanger his health and infringe on his rights.
The letter signed by family members including Kingsley Oteng (Family Head), Adelaide Ntim (MP), and other close relatives, highlighted Mr. Ntim’s decades of commitment to the party—from his time as First National Deputy Chairman to his current leadership.
Despite this dedication, the family stated, “Steve is not well at the moment,” and appealed for his exemption from the June 17 NEC meeting at the Alisa Hotel, which he was expected to chair.
“Common sense dictates that Steve, as a matter of urgency, be temporarily excused, not only from the rigours of active politics, but from intra-party activities in order to make way for needed peace and solace and for concentration on the ongoing required medical treatment process,” the letter read.
In Mr. Ntim’s absence, Mr. Buttey has stepped in to chair the NEC session, which includes a review of the work of the party’s Constitutional Review Committee and deliberations on internal reforms and preparations for the 2024 general elections.
Citi News has independently confirmed the ongoing meeting and Mr. Buttey’s role as acting chair.
![President John Dramani Mahama [left],](https://www.citinewsroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/MAHAMA-SIERRA-LEONE-350x250.jpeg)
