Massive rally climaxes Nana’s campaign

By Edmund Smith-Asante, ACCRA

Akufo Addo (inset) addressing the teeming crowd at Lapaz on Thursday.

Infectious, electrifying and spontaneous are words that best describe the mood at Lapaz in Accra yesterday when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) faithful gathered to show support to one of the party’s presidential aspirants, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The cheers and general merrymaking, amid dancing to song renditions in support of the aspirant, were reminiscent of political rallies in the build-up to elections in the country.


In the end, the massive rally that was organised to climax a countrywide tour to solicit support from the party’s delegates turned into an overwhelming endorsement of Nana Akufo-Addo in next Saturday’s congress to select a presidential candidate for the NPP for the 2016 elections.

After a long wait, Nana Akufo-Addo was handed the microphone to address the impatient crowd which roared in unison, blew vuvuzelas and danced to music that blared from loud speakers.

Speaking to the teeming crowd mostly in Akan, the aspirant asked the excited delegates to massively endorse him, come Saturday, so all would know that the NPP was wholly united behind their candidate and were ready to wrest power from the ruling National Democratic Congress.

He said while he “trusted the delegates” to endorse him on Saturday, his focus was on the 2016 elections and asked all NPP members and sympathisers to do same.

“I trust NPP delegates,” he stated repeatedly.

Saying the country was experiencing harsh economic conditions, he asked Ghanaians to use the same thumb they used to bring in the current government to vote it out peacefully in the 2016 elections.

“If you have voted for a government and you find that it is not performing, use the same thumb to vote it out peacefully and vote for a better government,” he advised.

Nana Akufo-Addo gave an assurance that Ghana could become a better place and that the country had not been cursed with poverty but had been plagued by poor management.

“The NPP has got the men and the women who can properly rule the country. We are capable of giving this country first-class governance that can solve the problems of our nation,” he stated.

Commenting on claims that he was too old to lead the country, he said President Alhassan Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire, who is older than he is by two years, was doing exploits in that country and so would he if he were given the mandate by Ghanaians in the 2016 elections.

Writer’s email: edmund.asante@graphic.com.gh  

This story was first published by the Daily Graphic on October 17, 2014