Tamale, Jan. 22, GNA - Mr. Albert Atutiga, former Northern Regional chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has congratulated the executive body of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on its successful National Delegates' Congress held in Tamale recently. Mr. Atutiga said contrary to predictions from detractors that violence and acrimony were to mar the Congress, the party rather emerged stronger and more united, which would lure many souls into the party, especially those who hid themselves during difficult times. He told the GNA in an interview on Friday that, "All souls in NDC need to be commended for making the congress a success. Everybody, from delegates to the youth of Tamale played their respective roles to ensure that there was no violence."

He said the party had also chosen a winsome team who, according to him, would be very difficult to defeat in the 2012 polls and predicted that the 2012 general elections would be a "fierce fight" between NDC and the opposition parties. Mr. Atutiga indicated that the delegates took a wise decision in choosing the national executives by voting a blend of the perceived Rawlings and President Mills' camps, saying "If there are indeed camps in the party, the pattern of votes would ensure that there is no division in the party." He advised President Mills and his ministers not to be complacent on the success of the congress but to work hard to meet the aspirations of Ghanaians.

He explained that no matter how the NDC would explain issues to the ordinary person on the street about the economy and the cedi having stabilized, once there is no money in people's pockets they are bound to change their voting pattern in 2012. Mr. Atutiga also commended President John Evans Atta Mills for being his own man in the country's governance system saying, "Prior to Mills becoming president, his detractors used to say former President Rawlings would dictate to him, as if the former president was a bad ruler who won elections twice. "Now that President John Atta Mills runs at his own pace, the same detractors are criticizing him for not listening to former President Rawlings," he explained. He appealed to the National Executives of the CPP to emulate the NDC and marry all their factions to constitute a winsome team to win power in 2012, adding that the CPP was the best alternative to the NDC. 22 Jan 10