Nadowli, Nov 28, GNA - Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Sunday described former President Jerry John Rawlings as the unofficial campaign manager for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He said although former President Rawlings was going through the length and breadth of the country to campaign for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), all his actions and activities were serving as negative campaigns against NDC, thereby reducing the votes of the Party.

Vice President Mahama said: "We are happy with his behaviour all over the country because his actions are destroying the votes of Professor Mills to our advantage."

He made the remarks at Nadowli when he made a stop over there to address NPP Party faithful and sympathisers on his way from Nandom where he celebrated the Kakube festival with the chiefs and people of the Nandom Traditional Area.

Alhaji Mahama also attended the funeral of the late Sylvannus Ganfaa, former Lawra District Chief Executive at Guo near Nandom in the Upper West Region.

Vice President Mahama said the NPP government believed in non-violence and was neither perturbed nor harassed by the negative behaviour of the former President.

"You must all learn to live together in peace because violence can never bring you anything meaningful in your homes," he said. Alhaji Mahama said former President Rawlings after ruling the country for almost 20 years no longer had developmental ideas and therefore should never be taken seriously for his utterances. He appealed to the people not to antagonise each other because of politics but should rather ensure unity and tolerance that would propel them to develop their areas.

Thirty-three young men believed to be members of the NDC defected to the NPP to beef up the campaign team of Dr Daniel Bagah, who is the NPP parliamentary candidate for the Nadowli West Constituency.