The move to retain Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for 2012 general election has reached its crescendo at the party’s Greater Accra Regional Rally organized last Sunday, to thank the people of the region for voting for the party. Statements made by prominent members of the party at the function were all geared towards garnering support for the idea. They include Dr. Nyaho-Nyaho Tamakloe, the firebrand politician, Hon. Frema Osei-Opare, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Madam Rita Talata Asobayire, the National Women’s Organizer, Hon. Sheikh I.C. Quaye, MP for Ayawaso Central and Mr. Lord Oblittey Commey, the National Organizer, who were all calling for the retention of Nana Addo. Addressing thousands of teeming supporters of the party, Nana Addo cautioned them to desist from internal bickering and back-biting due to the party’s loss in the just ended elections. According to him, a house divided among itself can not stand, noting that the party came close to winning the election and that there was the need for members to remain united for the task ahead in 2012. Nana Addo, who electrified the rally grounds condemned attacks launched on some individuals of the party who were accused of being the cause of the defeat of the NPP. He assured all members that the party would surely conduct a post-mortem analysis of the elections and come out with formidable solutions to fight the next elections, reiterating his assertion that: “We shall be back”. The outgoing Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheik I. C. Quaye claimed that the NPP did not lose the elections, but alleged that they were rigged by the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He described what transpired at the elections that gave victory to the NDC as undemocratic, stressing that as a democratic party, the NPP just accepted the judgment of the people for peace to prevail. He appealed to the NDC members to spare them any atrocity. “What we are telling them is that let them live and let us also live”, he said, and urged supporters of the NPP not to do anything untoward. On his part, Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the former Finance Minister and a leading member of the NPP, also alleged that the polls were rigged, indicating that the party would conduct a total review to prevent the situation where some party members stood as independent candidates and won their elections. “We have been robbed. But we need to stand firm. Let us avoid internal bickering and I am sure, we shall be back.” Dr. Nyaho-Nyaho-Tamakloe, who accused the NDC as ‘Thieves’, said the NPP was prepared for them in the next elections. “We know that our opponents are Thieves. We have seen them and we are ever prepared for them. We know that they have rigged the elections and because we want peace, that was why Nana Addo conceded defeat.” According to him, it was unbelievable for an unpopular minority party to win an election against a party which was popular. Titus Glover, a leading member of the NPP was of the view that the party should immediately monitor the performance of the new government, especially with the 100 days promises that were given. He also urged the Ga-Dangbe people to consider voting for the NPP because the NDC had deceived them during the elections. “We shall not wait for the 100 days, because it is too long a time. We are waiting for them to fulfill their promise, to put money in our pocket. We must check them,” he said. Hon. Kwamena Bartels, former Minister of Interior and ex-MP for Ablekuma North in the Greater Accra Region said Ghanaians were deceived to vote for Prof. Mills. He said, during the heat of the elections, the NPP told Ghanaians that a vote for Prof. Mills would be a vote for Mr. Rawlings, stressing that what the NPP said was manifested last week, when the founder of the NDC came on the neck of President Mills. The MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Hon. Frema Osei-Opare claimed that the NPP had borrowed the presidency to the NDC and that after four years, the NPP will retrieve it. To her, because the elections were rigged for President Mills, the party could not jubilate or celebrate its victory as smiles and laughter were missing from the face of President Mills. Hon. Dan Kwaku Botwe, the MP for Okere told the teeming supporters that the party was now poised to return to power after the four year tenure of the NDC. He appealed to the supporters to remain calm and united for the battles ahead. Other speakers included Captain Effah Dartey (Rtd), Rita Asobayire, Nana Ohene-Ntow, the General Secretary, Mr. Sammy Crabbe, the Greater Accra Regional chairman, Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Mrs. Mawusi Awitty and many others. Source: Chronicle