Garu (UER), Oct. 18, GNA - Mr Joseph Akudibilla, incumbent Member of Parliament for Garu-Tempane Constituency in the Upper East Region, was on Monday declared unopposed as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency in the December polls.

At the constituency delegates congress held in Garu, all 64 delegates present unanimously acclaimed Mr Akudibilla's candidature. Twenty-two out of the 86 delegates making up the constituency were absent.

In an acceptance speech, Mr Akudibilla described events preceding his nomination as "a painful birth" but said that was all that democracy was about.

He was apparently making reference to certain objections raised within the Constituency Executive of the Party earlier about his candidature.

Mr Akudibilla, who is also Deputy Minister of Defence, urged members of the NPP in the area to put the past behind them and work in unison, saying it was the only way victory could be won for the Party in Election 2004.

He asked supporters to be accommodating and tolerant, and to take the campaign to the remote parts of the constituency so that they could win more supporters for the Party.

The Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu urged the people not to allow ethnicity and chieftaincy disputes to divide them, as they were all one people.

He rendered an apology to the people of Garu-Tempane, asking them to forgive him for any pain he might have caused them in the heat of the controversy over Mr Akudibilla's candidature.

"As Regional Minister I accept full responsibility for everything that happened, and I ask for your forgiveness," he said.

Mr Salifu commended the constituency delegates and Party supporters for the decision to support Mr Akudibilla's parliamentary bid on the ticket of the NPP and urged them to throw their unreserved support behind the candidate to retain the seat in the December polls. Present at the occasion was Mr Ben Boka, Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr Mahmud Mahama, Regional Organiser of the Party and Mr Awini Inusah, Garu-Tempane Constituency Chairman of the NPP.

Staff from the Bawku East District Directorate of the Electoral Commission supervised the exercise. 18 Oct. 04