The presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has appealed to the electorate to resist attempts to engage in electoral malpractices to enable the Electoral -Commission (EC) to conduct free and fair elections in December. This, he believed, would enable the country to sustain the peace currently being enjoyed and also help the country maintain its status as a model of democracy on the African continent. "As stakeholders in nation-building, we must uphold the supreme interest of our peaceful country by resisting any negative influence by some self-seeking politicians to buy our votes and use money to influence our conscience to cheat the electoral process", he stated. Nana Akufo-Addo, who made the call at separate rallies at Abomosu, Osino and Begoro in the Eastern Region on Sunday, stated ''we must also resist the preaching of tribal politics, failure of which our desire to move forward as one people will be undermined". The NPP presidential aspirant, who is on an eight-day tour of the Eastern Region, was accompanied by some of the party's executives, including Messrs' Alan Kyeremanten, Felix Owusu Agyapong, Kwabena Agyepong, Yaw Gyekye Amoabeng, Ms Gloria Akuffo, and Nana Ohene Ntow. Nana Akufo-Addo said this year's elections was not a "a do -or- die affair" as perceived by some political parties, particularly the National Democratic Congress, which was making desperate efforts and employing negative strategies to win power. As part of its strategies, the NDC he pointed out was bent on playing on the people's diverse ethnic backgrounds and propagate falsehoods to canvass for votes, particularly in the remote parts of the country. Since such divisive political strategy would not augur well for the peaceful conduct of elections, he appealed to the people to place the supreme interest of the country above that being pursued by some self-seeking politicians. "In no way should we let this elections lead to any bloodshed as we are not prepared to be refugees in neighbouring countries. This is our home and hence we must resolve to say no to tribal politics," he emphasised. Making a comparison between the NPP and the NDC administration, he said the 19 years of misrule by the NDC resulted in a severe economic downturn in the country, compared to the solid economic foundation laid by the NPP in its almost eight years reign. He cited the collapse of several vibrant local industries which led to massive unemployment in the country. Nana Akufo-Addo who questioned the boldness of the NDC to seek the people's mandate to steer the affairs of the country again, said "why should we allow our resources to be managed by a group of incompetent people who are only interested in their stomach?" According to him, as a result of the positive mindset and good economic management of the NPP government, resources that had existed in the country for many years but had eluded previous governments were revealed to the NPP by God”. "The discovery in commercial quantity of oil can best be described as a blessing bestowed on the NPP government by God"; he said, adding "we should therefore vote for the NPP to prudently manage it". He pledged to prudently channel the resources from oil into massive development in areas such as industrialisation, infrastructure development, education; health and other social interventions. As part of measures to provide employment for the people, particularly the youth, Nana Akufo-Addo, expressed the commitment of the NPP under his administration to establish an oil plantation at Begoro and other oil palm growing areas in the region. Source: Daily Graphic