The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has welcomed the announcement by the Independent People’s Party (IPP) to support its flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo for president in the December polls.

Speaking to Class News, Mr Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, aide to Nana Akufo-Addo, said it was welcome news.

“This election is turning out to be not about individual parties but about the nature of the development, the nature of the way forward that we need to develop collectively as a country. Many in the country are looking for change through Nana Akufo-Addo so we expect qualitative changes in the way we run our government, qualitative changes to the outcome we expect from government and, so, I’m happy with people coming out to say they want to support Nana Akufo-Addo in this national collective effort,” Mr Asamoah said adding that: “Whatever weight the IPP has will definitely inure to the benefit of the NPP”.

Speaking at a news conference in Accra on Thursday, 17 November, Mr Akpaloo said the IPP was supporting Mr Akufo-Addo because the NPP has agreed to implement some polices in the IPP’s manifesto should it win the polls.

“Though we are a new party, if you give us the opportunity we will be able to transform Ghana but [for this year’s election] we don’t want to shelve those ideas. …As a party, when it comes to job creation we believe we have fantastic ideas and also putting money into people’s pocket with child benefits and unemployment benefits. So we decided to speak to the political parties and one party gave us the opportunity to help them and [and in return] they will implement this idea,” he stated.

Mr Akpaloo was quick to add that: “It doesn’t mean we are going to be part of the party, we are helping the party now to win power and after 2016, we re-organise our party and move on”.

“The party we agreed to work with is also preaching jobs… and this party is the New Patriotic Party whose presidential candidate is Nana Akufo-Addo. So the executives of IPP are ready to work with that party to do the necessary campaign to capture power,” he stated.

This is the second time a disqualified aspirant has openly declared support for the NPP flag bearer ahead of the crucial polls.

The first was Akwasi Addai Odike, flag bearer of the United Progressive Party (UPP), who is also backing Nana Akufo-Addo to become president after the December polls.