A stalwart of the New Patriotic Party in the Central Region has thrown his full support behind the candidature of Nana Akufo-Addo ahead of Saturday’s presidential primary, describing him as the party’s best bet for victory in 2016.

Hon. Kwamena Bartels, who headed the Ministries of Interior, Information, Works and Housing and Private Sector Development, and was also a former Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North, made this known when he addressed a meeting between Nana Akufo-Addo and some 500 plus NPP delegates from the Awutu Senya East constituency at Kasoa on Wednesday, October 15.

Hon. Kwamena Bartels told the delegates that he has worked and knows, at first hand, each of the three remaining aspirants vying to lead the NPP into election 2016 and is best placed to advise NPP delegates as to who to elect as their presidential candidate.

“I was in cabinet for 7 years with Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyerematen under the government of President Kufuor. However, there is only one person who has prepared himself very well for the task ahead of leading the party to victory. That person is Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. At this point in Ghana’s history, considering the mismanagement of the economy that has taken place under this government, we need one person to solve Ghana’s problems and that person is Akufo-Addo,” Kwamena Bartels declared.

Additionally, he stated that the NPP, over the last two contests it has held, has shown that it is solidly united behind Nana Akufo-Addo.

“In August 2010, Nana Akufo-Addo received 79%, and on August 31, 2014, he got 80.81%. Likewise in 2010, Alan received 19.32% and this reduced to 7.97% on August 31. What this signifies is that the NPP is united behind Nana Akufo-Addo. Let us make sure that the Nana Akufo-Addo surpasses the 80.81% on Saturday when we all go to vote,” he noted.

Hon. Kwamena Bartels, who is also a National Council Member of the NPP, reiterated the fact that of all aspirants contesting, “Nana Akufo-Addo has already been marketed. Everyone in Ghana, at least, knows how Akufo-Addo looks like. Even a day-old baby knows who Nana Akufo-Addo is.”

Hon. Kwamena Bartels, in buttressing this point, recounted a scenario when the late President, John Atta Mills on his visit to a school under the “My First Day at School” programme, asked who the president of Ghana and was shocked when a six year old pupil responded by mentioning the name of Nana Akufo-Addo.

“The NDC presented the late President Mills went 3 times to Ghanaians. At his third attempt, Ghanaians said ‘let us try him’. Now, Ghanaians are saying ‘let’s try Nana Akufo-Addo’”, he said.

To make this a reality, Hon. Kwamena Bartels urged the Awutu Senya East delegates to vote massively for Nana Akufo-Addo.

“The Super delegates gave Nana 94.4%, 51 out of 54 votes, from the Central Region. Now we have Hon. Joe Ghartey and Hon. Osei Ameyaw, who were aspirants, coming to supporting Nana Akufo-Addo. This means that the Central Region will have to surpass the 94.4% we gave him from this region on Saturday,” he emphasised.