Nana rides high in Western Region

With less than two months to the crucial December general elections, the popularity of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, keeps soaring across the country, as the governing party continues to consolidate the electoral support it enjoys in its strongholds, while gaining more grounds in areas hitherto considered antagonistic towards the party.

When he took his campaign to the Mpohor Wassa East, Prestea-Huni Valley and Amenfi East constituencies Monday as part of the second phase of his campaign tour of the Western Region, Nana Akufo-Addo was met by thousands of people described by the local people as unprecedented in recent times.

This was contrary to claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress that the Western Region had fallen to it, and that it would massively sweep the votes in the region in the December elections

All the three seats are held by the NPP, and indications were clear that the party was set to retain the seats in the December elections.

"We are retaining all the three seats, and this was evidenced by the massive crowd that came out to show support for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP in all the places we have visited,' Kojo Acquah, Western Regional Organiser of the party told The Statesman.

During the first phase of his Western Regional campaign tour two weeks ago, Nana Akufo-Addo shocked local political analysts with the massive support he enjoyed in the Sefwi area - which was formerly a real 'no-go' area for the NPP and a preserve for the NDC.

'The NDC will be deceiving themselves if they should think that they can make any inroads in the Western Region. We are breaking through their strongholds while consolidating our support base, and this should tell you that we are set to record massive victory in the region,' Nana Owusu Ankomah, NPP Western Regional Chairman, stated with optimism.

Addressing well-attended rallies at Ateiku (Mpohor Wassa East), Opon Valley (Amanfi East), Huni Valley and Prestea, both in the Prestea-Huni Valley constituencies, Nana Akufo-Addo thanked the people for their continued support for the NPP.

He urged them to remain solid in their support and work harder to ensure a resounding victory in the December elections.

Nana noted that the nation was at a cross-road with the choice of either moving forward with the NPP or moving backwards with the NDC, in terms of development.

He therefore, cautioned the electorate not to make the mistake of voting the NDC back to power since 'that decision will not be in the interest of the nation.'

The NPP Presidential Candidate debunked claims by the opposition NDC that he was against the work of 'galamsey' (unauthorised mining) operators.

'What I have been emphasising is that I don"t want us to be talking about 'galamsey', but about small scale mining which will be well recognised and regulated so that the mining companies could be asked to offer concessions to the small scale miners to ensure sanity in the mining industry,' he explained.