Thursday, May 13:- The Member of Parliament for Wenchi, Prof. Gyan Baffour, has joined the growing number of New Patriotic Party members, high or low, who are coming out boldly to throw their weight behind Nana Akufo-Addo’s presidential bid.
This follows similar endorsements for Nana Akufo-Addo from other NPP MPs in the Brong Ahafo Region, all of whom attributed their endorsement of Nana’s candidacy to be a reflection of what their constituents were telling them on the ground.
As Nana Akufo-Addo moves from constituency to constituency he is met with endorsements from opinion leaders and electrifying support from the grassroots.
So far, after three days in the Region, the Tano South MP, Andrews Adjei-Yeboah, Berekum MP, Kwaku Agyenim Boateng, Kwasi Ameyaw-Kyeremeh of Sunyani, Kwaku Agyemang Manu of Dormaa West, Yaw Maama Afful of Jaman South and Prof. Ameyaw Ekumfi of Techiman North, have all publicly endorsed Nana Akufo-Addo.
In a short but penetrating address Thursday, the former Deputy Minister of Finance told Wenchi delegates, “You know where I stand in this contest. I am for Nana Akufo-Addo. I believe Nana Akufo-Addo is the one who can lead our party to victory in 2012.”
Pro.f Baffour continued, “I plead with you to vote massively for him on August 7.”
The economist, who was instrumental in drafting Ghana’s poverty reduction strategy lamented, “Ghanaians are suffering. Here in Wenchi life is tough. But, you’re not alone. It is no different elsewhere in the country.”
He described Nana Akufo-Addo as a patriot who had devoted his life to freeing the ordinary Ghanaian for development. He can therefore be trusted to bring back hope and deliver the people from poverty and illiteracy after 2012.
He said he was confident that the NPP membership will not allow the temporary competition of choosing a flagbearer to disturb the party’s long-term cohesion and unity of purpose.
Prof. Baffour’s endorsement follows similar ones from other parliamentarians during the Brong Ahafo leg of Nana’s campaign to be the NPP’s 2012 presidential candidate.
Earlier the Member of Parliament for Okere, Dan Kweku Botwe also told delegates Party to vote massively for Nana Akufo-Addo and give him a resounding victory in the August contest, for the party to get down to the actual business of reclaiming power in 2012.
“I am looking beyond August 7 because I am confident that delegates of the NPP will vote massively to retain Nana Akufo-Addo as flagbearer of the party. The real battle lies ahead of us in 2012 and I will plead that after Nana Akufo-Addo is elected as flagbearer. We will all stand firmly and united behind him to ensure that the party wins the 2012 general elections.”
Nana Akufo-Addo’s party represented the party in the 2012 presidential election, losing out to Prof. Mills by less than 0.5% of the votes cast.
Mr Botwe, a renowned political strategist, was speaking at the forecourt of the National House of Chiefs, Bechem, in the Tano South constituency where Nana Akufo-Addo started his tour of the Brong-Ahafo region.
Nana Akufo-Addo ends his BA tour this Saturday and will begin with the Ashanti leg of his national campaign on Sunday.