Kyebi (E/R), Dec. 24, GNA - People in Akyem Abuakwa celebrated the election of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Sunday after the verdict was announced on the airwaves and on television that the first runner-up after the first round of voting at the party's congress in Accra had conceded defeat.
Shouts of jubilation were heard in houses at New Tafo, Kyebi and in some cases some people rushed outside their houses to celebrate briefly on the streets before going back into the houses.
The celebration got to it's height when the main supporters of Nana Akufo-Addo got back to the Kyebi township in the evening from the congress in seven Urvan buses and some pick ups.
They drove through the principal streets of Kyebi and ended up at the fore court of the Ofori Panin Fie close to where the constituency office was situated.
As the vehicles with the supporters drove along, people wearing T-shirts of Friends of Akufo-Addo Fan Club waved back to cheer them up. In the evening around 19.00 hours the youth gathering to dance to music provided by the Friends of Akufo-Addo Fan Club from heavy loudspeakers mounted at the Kyebi Lorry Park.
Later in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Mr Ernest Appiah, a leader of the Friends of Nana Akufo-Addo Fan Club, said the music would be provided by the club non-stop for people to dance till December 31st , this year as part of the celebration of the victory. all night prayer session for a successful NPP congress and victory for Nana Akufo-Addo from Friday night to Saturday dawn at the Kyebi Lorry Park.
In Nana Akufo-Addo's house at Kyebi, music was being provided from some mounted loudspeakers but did not attract a large crowd. Later in an interview, the Chief of Kyebi, Osabarimah Kyeretwie Boakyi-Dankwa expressed his appreciation to the delegates, the presidential aspirants and leadership of the NPP for a successful congress.
Osabarimah Boakyi-Dankwa said the way the congress was conducted was a demonstration that the country was gradually maturing in the democratic culture and expressed the hope that other political parties that would be organizing their congresses would also have such peaceful congresses.
He prayed that the maturity being exhibited by the various political parties at their congresses would be carried over to the 2008 national elections for the country to have one of the most peaceful elections in Africa.
The Chairman of the Abuakwa North Constituency of NPP Mr Douglas Mathew Asare said the people were happy that Nana Akufo-Addo had won the primaries not because he was from the area but he for his sacrifices for the party for which he deserved the honour.
Nana Owusu Boateng, a relative of Nana Akufo-Addo said the greatest task that would confront Nana would be to ensure total unity in the party.
He said all the presidential aspirants of the party had faithful supporters and sympathizers in the party and all of them needed to be brought on board. 24 Dec. 07