The flag-bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has condemned what he described as the "inferior tactics" and "politics of lies" being employed by NPP's political opponents in their bid to win power. He said the menace of threat by the party's opponents to secure political power would not help the nation, pointing out that "Ghanaians still have confidence in the NPP". Nana Akufo-Addo expressed the concern when he granted two separate interviews on Obuoba FM and Eastern FM both radio stations based in Nkawkaw and Koforidua respectively, in the East Region. The interviews formed part of his campaign tour of the region to thank the people for their support in the December 7, 2008 polls and to solicit their votes in the presidential run-off scheduled for December 28, 2008. Traditionally, the Eastern Region has been one of the strongholds of the NPP since the advent of the Fourth Republic, a strength that was confirmed in the December 7 polls as the party swept 21 out, of the 28 parliamentary seats in the region. In both Nkawkaw and Koforidua, as soon as the NPP flag-bearer went on air a large crowd trooped to the premises of the two radio stations to listen to and catch a glimpse of him. Away from the premises of the stations, many drivers, traders and other individuals abandoned their engagements and gathered around radio sets to listen to the interview. Later as Nana Akufo-Addo's convoy drove out of the radio stations at the end of the programme, the ecstatic crowd greeted him with loud cheers. On his way from Nkawkaw to Koforidua, the NPP flag bearer was given a rousing welcome by NPP supporters at Suhyen, Jumapo, Oyoko and Asokore, all in the New Juaben North Constituency. A large crowd from all walks of life lined up the streets to cheer him, while many others ran after the snail-moving convoy waving NPP flags, bandanas and other party paraphernalia. In the Koforidua township itself, the arrival of Nana Akufo-Addo caused long vehicular traffic. During the interviews, Nana Akufo-Addo expressed concern about the negative campaign being waged by the NPP's political opponents ahead of the presidential run-off. He cited the circulation of a list of NPP activists, including himself, who were alleged to be keeping large sums of money in their accounts at the Prudential Bank, dismissing the allegation as very ridiculous. In a press statement issued in the Daily Graphic early last week, the management of the bank also dismissed the allegation as false. Nana Akufo-Addo further made reference to an alleged hit squad that had been engaged to kill some identified persons in the country if the NPP lost power, and the burning of a 160-acre rice farm belonging to the chief of Nanton simply because the NPP won the parliamentary seat for the area for the first time. He again alleged that some people wearing NPP T-shirts, but unknown to the party, had been going round the party's strongholds to deceive the electorate that those who voted for him (Nana Akufo-Addo) in the first round were not eligible to vote in the second round because the run-off was meant for those who would vote for Prof. Mills. Nana Akufo-Addo said the resort to such inferior tactics and lies was a clear indication that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was desperate for power and, as such, prepared to do anything to achieve that goal. He said the kind of 'change' being propagated by the NDC was not something that would move the nation forward, but one that would send it backward, and urged Ghanaians to reject such a ‘change’. Nana Akufo-Addo said the threatening language of NDC activists within the past few days should be scary enough for Ghanaians to resist a relapse of the country into the era of culture of fear, intimidation and violence, which was banished under the NPP administration. He said the NPP would have won the December 7 polls ‘one touch' if all of its supporters had turned out in their numbers to vote, citing complacency and some internal factors as the bane of the party. Nana Akufo-Addo, therefore, pleaded with the party faithful not to repeat the mistake of the past and vote massively in the run-off, to ensure that the NPP retained power. He said this was not the time to blame anybody for the party's failure to secure a first round victory, although he acknowledged the need to address certain internal problems, such as the improper management of primaries, to avoid their negative consequences. Commenting on the outcome of the December 7 polls, the NPP flag-bearer expressed concern about the large number of rejected ballot papers, numbering more than 200,000, describing it as very unusual. He said the NPP would seek solution to the anomaly at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on Monday. Source: Daily Graphic