The newly elected first Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress Koku Anyidoho has said he will “project” and “protect” President John Mahama as he did his former boss, the late President John Mills.

The former Presidential spokesperson was elected by delegates of the ruling party at its 8th Congress at the Baba Yara sports stadium in Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

Anyidoho, according to certified results by the EC garnered 2,338 votes out of the total number of valid votes cast at the Congress to emerge as first deputy general secretary.

He was widely criticised for the boisterous manner in which he communicated during the tenure of the late President.

But speaking on Morning Starr with host Kafui Dey, Monday, Anyidoho said Ghanaians misunderstand his passion towards work for arrogance.

“I work with a passion, when I have work to do, I do it with a passion and if that is misconstrued as being hot tempered, I think that is unfortunate”.

He said loyalty and the passion with which he “defended” and protected the late President will be transferred to the sitting President now that he has assumed a position in the national executive body of the party.

“I had to protect President Mills with a passion, I had to project Mills with a passion.

“In the last two and half years who has heard me say anything? It’s because there wasn’t much to do in terms of projecting and protecting,” he stated.

“Now I’m back again in the frontline, I will protect the NDC, project the NDC and protect President Mahama with the same passion”.