Akufo-Addo begins campaign in August

The NPP flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will embark on a nationwide tour to reinvigorate the party’s grassroots, starting from August.

Nana Akufo-Addo will particularly use the tour to reconcile all factions in the just-ended parliamentary primaries of the party.

The experienced NPP stalwart is currently in the United Kingdom holding meetings with members of the NPP-UK branch, including a meeting of branch and chapter executives as well as the inauguration of the Northampton chapter of the party.

He is also expected to visit some educational institutions in England, and interact with members of the Ghanaian community in the UK before returning to Ghana on July 31.

He told a delegation from the Volta Region, comprising 24 newly-elected parliamentary candidates and their respective constituency chairmen, regional NPP executives led by 1st Vice Regional Chairman, Dr. Archibald Letsa before emplaning to London that the party needed to unite to be able to win the 2016 general election.

“I intend to travel across the country to meet candidates and their competitors to help promote healthy relations amongst them,” adding “the first task towards victory is unity amongst the rank and file of the party.”

He told the Volta delegation that it was time for all parliamentary candidates to adopt the ‘Talensi model’ for their campaigns where all persons that contested but lost the primary teamed up with the candidate to campaign in the just-ended by-election.

“The bond that existed between the three candidates in Talensi was something really wonderful to see,” adding “the two losing candidates were the main campaigners for the winner, Thomas Duanab, in their areas of strength and throughout the constituency.”

Nana Akufo-Addo said “that’s what I call the Talensi model which, despite the loss, is a good model. We want to replicate this model in all the 275 constituencies across the country. I want to see this in the Volta Region.”

He said that building the confidence of the electorate of the Volta Region in the NPP was vital if the party was to wrestle political power from the ruling National Democratic Congress in the December 2016 general elections.

Key to building this confidence, according to the 2016 presidential candidate of the NPP, is curing the false perception that has been foisted on the NPP by its political opponents that it has a tribal agenda against the people of the region.

“We must make it clear to the Chiefs and people of the Volta Region that all the stories about ‘tribal this and that’ are not true. We must send a message to the people, and they must have it clearly in their minds that we do not have any negative agenda towards the Volta Region,” Nana Akufo-Addo had said.

On the contrary, he said, “it is rather Akufo-Addo and the NPP that are coming to power to promote the development of the region as an integral part of the development of Ghana. In this regard, I am determined to extend a sincere hand of friendship and co-operation to the Chiefs and People of the Volta Region.”

“On the several occasions that I have been there recently, I have had experiences and receptions I have never had before. It is telling me that, perhaps, this is the moment to reach out effectively for that hand of co-operation and of friendship. I want to assure all of you gathered here that I am going to do my best to reach out and do whatever I can to support the party in the region,” he emphasised.