Politics of Friday, 2 January 2009

Source: GNA

Akufo-Addo appeals for calm

Accra, Jan. 2, GNA- Nana Akufo-Addo, Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Friday appealed to party supporters not to engage in violent acts but to remain calm "because it not yet over". Speaking to scores of supporters who had besieged the party's headquarters following reports that the leadership of the NPP was meeting to concede defeat, he said "election is not a matter of life or death and there is no need for us to be violent."

"We went to vote and not to fight..So lets not go fighting each other. And I thank you for your support and loyalty." "We presented some evidence to the EC, and we shall wait until the EC communicates the outcome to us., then we take it from there", Akufo-Addo told the supporters. Many of the supporters, most of who were emotionally charged, protested instantly that they would not agree to any decision by the party to concede defeat.

Nana Akufo-Addo also called on Prof. Evans Atta Mills, presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to ask his supporters to exercise restraint and to stop the violence they were meting out to NPP supporters. He also appealed to the media to show some circumspection in their reportage in order to foster peace.