General News of Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Source: starrfmonline.com

Akufo-Addo most popular NPP leader ever - Gabby

The former Executive Director of policy Think Tank Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere Darko says Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s popularity within the New Patriotic Party is unmatched.

According to him, the support enjoyed by the two-time presidential candidate of the main opposition party would help secure more than 80 percent of votes for him in the party’s October 18 congress.

The 2012 presidential candidate won resoundingly at Sunday’s Super Delegates congress with 80.78 percent of valid votes cast.

His closest contender Alan Kyeremanten polled a paltry 8 percent to place second ahead of Joe Ghartey, Francis Addai-Nimoh and Kofi Osei Ameyaw.

Several party leaders have impressed upon the other flagbearer hopefuls to step down and throw their support behind the twice-defeated presidential candidate.

Several members of the party, including Arthur Kobina Kennedy, former communications director for the 2008 campaign team of Nana Akufo-Addo, say the NPP has been sharply divided under the former foreign affairs Minister’s leadership.

However, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, who is a cousin and close aide to Akufo-Addo told private FM station, Asempa on Tuesday that the NPP has been more united under Akufo-Addo than any other leader in the party.

He added that claims that Akufo-Addo is a divisive leader are mere propaganda aimed at tarnishing the image of the former attorney general.

“There is nothing that Nana Addo has done to divide the party...there are no divisions within the NPP, it’s all propaganda”, Asare Otchere-Darko said.