Nana Akufo-Addo, who quietly picked up his nomination forms yesterday, has stuck his neck out to speak up against aspirants or their supporters who are whipping up religious and ethnic sentiments in their bid to win the December 22nd contest to choose a flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party.

Addressing party executives and sympathisers in Kumasi Friday, Nana Akufo-Addo told the NPP to demand of aspirants a campaign based on their own acquired qualities and desist from exploiting their ethnic or religious backgrounds because that could spell doom for not only the party but the nation, as a whole. He referred his audience to the conflict in la Cote d'Ivoire, which he said was triggered by the whipping up of north-south sentiments.

"Ghanaians are simply looking for an NPP candidate who can do the job if given the nod. Whether the best candidate comes from Tumu, Yendi, Kumasi, Kyebi, or Nkroful, let us give him the NPP flag."

He also touched on the age issue, with some candidates "describing some of us as having gone past our expiry date."

In Nana Akufo-Addo's humorous view, matters like manhood are better left to members of the opposite sex to decide. "It does not matter if you are young or old - what matters is your ability to win, unite and lead." He also spoke against "mischievous" attempts by some 'political strategists? to create and foment tension between Akyems and Ashantis. He appealed to the rank and file of the party not to entertain "dangerous talk" that the NPP needs a candidate from a particular religious or ethnic background. "A creeping danger in our party these days is the talk by some people that the NPP is not strong in the northern regions and in the Zongo communities, so let?s look for a northern Moslem to rule us." He continued, "That is dangerous politics ? We don?t want ethnic and tribal matters to come into our politics. You can?t talk about the north and ignore the south; you can?t talk about Moslems and not talk about Christians, too. "The beautiful thing about Ghana is that we are a tolerant and peaceful multi-ethnic nation where you are free to practise your religion of choice. What we need is an NPP candidate who can do the work to be given the mantle. We are all one people."

Nana Akufo-Addo returned to Accra after meeting constituencies executives and addressing party rank and file in the Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions last week. Urging all presidential aspirants to "stand on their own two feet," Nana Akufo-Addo took time to speak to his audience of over 2,850 at the Kumasi Cultural Centre last Friday about the need to maintain party unity and cohesion and for the party to demand of aspirants a campaign based on their ability to win, unify and lead.

"Come January 7, 2009 His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor would hand over to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo" he said, reminding the NPP that President John Jerry Rawlings could not achieve such a feat on January 7, 2001. He was confident that on the night of December 22, 2007, the one name that his former college mate, Prof Mills of the NDC would not want to hear is Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

"Because he knows that would mean the end of his presidential ambition."