Wa, Jan. 8, GNA - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has appealed to party activists to gear their campaigns towards recording a clear and clean victory for the party in the elections in order to avoid a run-off and the pitfalls that characterized close contests.

He said after the party's recent congress at Legon, all the other aspirants were united and working towards ensuring that the ultimate aim of retaining power was achieved and therefore asked supporters of the various aspirants to see the party as their one and only political camp. Nana Akufo-Addo was addressing a rally at Wa that was organized by the regional executive of the party during his maiden visit to the Upper West Region as the presidential candidate of the party to thank delegates and the party's supporters for electing him to lead the party He was accompanied by Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Member of Parliament for Akim-Oda, Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, Mr Joe Donkor, Member of Parliament for Tain and Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Musah, Second National Vice-Chairman of the party. Nana Akufo-Addo said he would not disappoint them as their presidential candidate and was optimistic that President John Agyekum Kufuor would hand over to him as the next President of Ghana. Met by a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters at Tanina, which is about 20 kilometres from Wa, Nana Akufo-Addo and his entourage had earlier been led through some principal streets of the town and paid courtesy calls on some of the traditional leaders and party elders. Mr Osafo-Maafo, who said he was representing all the 16 former presidential aspirants, said people held the perception that the party would break up after the Legon conference.

"This will never happen as all of us are united forever behind the flag bearer for victory in election 2008."

He said it was sad to note that the party had only one Member of Parliament in the region and urged the regional and constituency executives to ensure that they win six out of the ten seats in the region. "In Eastern Region where we currently have 22 seats we have promised to deliver all the 28 seats to Nana and the party and we urge you in the Upper West Region to do the same".

Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Abubakari, Regional Chairman of the party, said Nana Akufo-Addo would definitely become the next President of Ghana and that all those who were still in the NDC with the hope that they would win the next elections were deceiving themselves.