Tamale (Northern Region), 9th June 99 -

Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama, a 62 year old lawyer and a leading member of the Convention Party (CP) has declared his intention to join the Presidential race of the party.

"I am going to be in the presidential race of the CP for the 2000 elections because I have over 30 years of experience in politics and I am the kind of person the country needs", he told the GNA at Tamale.

Alhaji Mahama who was speaking in an interview on Monday disagreed with a suggestion that he is too old for politics, arguing that no country can make it if people with experience are insulated from politics because of old age.

"The two must play the game together. Be you old or young. Once you have something to offer and you are eligible to vote or be voted for, nothing stops you from contesting elections", he stressed.

Meanwhile Alhaji Mahama has told party supporters at a rally at Bimbilla that if CP is voted into office it would accomplish so much that it would not be necessary to campaign before being re-elected.

He asked the people to dismiss the notion that without the National Democratic Congress (NDC) the rural electrification programme would be stopped.

He said it was the defunct Convention Peoples Party (CPP) that built the Akosombo Dam, and CP as an Nkrumahist party has a greater responsibility of fulfilling the CPP's dream of extending light to every village than any other government.