NDC 1 million Ashanti votes a mirage - Akufo-Addo

Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has made mockery of the ruling National Democratic Congress' (NDC's) resolve to win one million votes in the Ashanti Region in the 2016 general elections, describing it as a mirage.

For him, it can only remain a dream and not a reality since the main opposition party has targeted to win not less than 85 percent of popular votes in the region which is the NPP's stronghold.

Early this year, regional executives of the NDC said they had mapped out a strategy to win as many as a million votes in the region.

This, they noted, would make victory in the 2016 general elections a certain­ty for the party, even though the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, believes this forms part of the NDC's grand scheme to rig the elections.

Like his regional party chairman. Nana Akufo- Addo says the NDC's dream would not materialise. 

Addressing party faithful from the Subin constituency who paid a visit to him at his Nima residence yesterday, he assured them, "we will get it 85 percent in 2016."

The group, which com­prised about 200 women, polling station executives and other members from the constituency, was led by constituency chairman Francis Boamah.

Present was incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Subin, Isaac Osei, who acted as spokesperson for the group.

He said the purpose of their presence in Accra was to visit Parliament and familiarise them­selves with the operations of the party at the national level, as well as reiterate their commitment to ensuring that the NPP, under the leadership of Akufo-Addo, wrestles political power from the NDC.

He also indicated that prior to their call on Nana Akufo-Addo, they had called on the National Chairman, Paul Afoko , and other executives of the party at the national head­quarters.

Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that Ghana is retrogressing under the Mahama government and that “all the gains chalked by President Kufuor have been eroded within six years of the NDC government taking over the reins of office. We have a duty as members of the NPP to make sure Ghana works again; and we have no choice but to win the 2016 election”.

On the upcoming parliamentary primaries of the party, he urged the gather­ing to conduct themselves in a manner devoid of ran­cour, and give all aspirants the opportunity to present their cases.

He used the opportunity to debunk NDC-inspired rumours making the rounds that he had preferred candidates in the upcoming primaries. He maintained that dele­gates of the party would always have the final say as to who they want as their parliamentary candidates.

Nana Akufo-Addo, whose wife, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, was also present, thanked the group for the visit.