The international branch of the New Patriotic Party in the United Kingdom, the mother of democracy, has thrown its full weight behind Nana Akufo-Addo as the NPP candidate for 2016 general elections, with a 92% landslide victory of a poll conducted of NPP members in the UK.

The NPP branch, in line with its deep democratic tenets as a pacesetter, decided to respond to the calls of its rank and file members and allowed all members in all the chapters in the UK to vote for their preferred candidate(s) out of the seven aspirants vying to lead Ghana's biggest opposition party.

Three delegates from each international branch of the NPP will vote in the Special Electoral College of August 31 to shortlist five people, and 12 delegates from each branch will vote in the final National Congress of October 18.

This voting took place in an emergency meeting organised by all the chapters of the branch on Thursday, August 21. It was a One-Member-One-Vote (OMOV) affair. The branch was determined to ensure that the votes of its delegates will be a true reflection of the choice(s) of its members.

When all the votes were aggregated, Nana Akufo-Addo received an overwhelming endorsement of the NPP members in the UK. He polled 92% of the total votes cast, leaving the other six contenders to share the remaining 8% of the votes. Four of the aspirants did not register a single vote.

Present at the London meeting were the Chairman of Council of Elders Mr. Michael Boye-Anawoma, together with other founding members, namely, Mr. Owusu Ansah-Boafo, Mr. Alex Amponsah Yeboah Kakabo, Mrs. Comfort Arthur and Mr. Matthew Kyeremeh. Also present were all the immediate past Executives and the current Executives, led by Branch Chairman - Michael Ansah.

The events, being the first major test of the new executives, were efficiently organised simultaneously across all the chapters in UK. By 8.30pm all the results had come in and the Secretary of the Branch, Dr. John Kissi accordingly announced to the membership the outcome of the voting.

In what appeared to be a note of caution to the executive body, the Chairman of Council of Elders, Mr. Boye-Anawoma stated "this vote is not just a guide to the executive, rather, it is an expression of our desire as to who should lead our party".

The Chairman of the Branch also used the occasion to call for unity and calmness among membership in Ghana and across the world as the party prepares an alternative government that will salvage Ghana's run down economy and return the country to a path of prosperity after 2016 general elections.