The New Patriotic Party (NPP’s) standard bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s visit to the Ketu North District of the Volta Region, on Tuesday, unearthed a rare display of disaffection for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) as thousands of residents gathered at a rally and shouted for the exit of the ruling party.

During a rally at Dodze, the district capital, thousands of indigenes in NPP-branded T-shirts and paraphernalia, listened to the alternative solutions the NPP flagbearer was proposing to alleviate their socio-economic hardships if voted into power on December 7.

After his speech, Nana Akufo-Addo asked the people if they were going to vote for the NDC during the general election, to which they yelled a deafening “No!”

The NPP flagbearer told the crowd that the NPP’s ticket was certain to bring them hope. “I have come here to introduce myself to you as the person holding the flag of the New Patriotic Party. I began my campaign from the length and breadth of this country, and today is the day that the Lord has made for us to come and continue our campaign in the Volta and to tell you about some of the things that are on our mind that I want to do when I become president of Ghana.”

The crowd that greeted the NPP leader at Dodze was one of the biggest for the NPP whose appeal in the Volta Region has usually been extremely minimal. It was unlike previous years when only a handful of party supporters would be seen at such rallies.

The Volta Region traditionally supports the ruling NDC, which tags the region as its “World Bank”.

He told the Voltarians that his main reason for vying for the presidency was for him to “sort out the economy”. He said he would restore confidence to the Ghanaian local currency and the economy which had been mortally battered by the NDC.

He cited the NDC presidential candidate, President John Mahama and his running mate, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur as the men responsible for the declined state of the economy. “The curious thing is that the two people who are responsible for seeing to the decline and the weakness of the cedi are the two main people who are asking our country for another term of office,” Nana Addo told the crowd that constantly punctuated his speech with rapturous applause and yells of approval.

On Tuesday, Akufo-Addo made serious incursions into the Volta Region, touring major towns and institutions in the region. For the first time, the NPP received such an excited welcome that political analysts have described as unprecedented.

Business and social activities in the region virtually came to a standstill when Nana Addo and his entourage stormed the region.

On the kerbs of the streets, people carried several placards with inscriptions such as ‘Free Quality Education Now’, ‘Nana, The Man Of Vision’, ‘NDC, Volta Is Awake, Never Again’, and ‘Volta Region No More NDC World Bank’ among others.

There was also a mad scramble for NPP T-shirts.