Suhum, Oct 26, GNA - Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), presidential candidate for Election 2008, has appealed to party members and supporters to conduct their campaigns, devoid of violence and tension.

He said violence could not help any party to win power because Ghanaians "are now conversant with choosing a leader who in their estimation can improve their lot through the ballot than any other means".

Nana Akufo-Addo was addressing separate rallies at Nsawam and Suhum on Friday, as part of his campaign tour of the Eastern Region. He said the NPP needed no violence to maintain power because the good works of "President Kufuor had already won the elections for the party".

Nana Akufo-Addo said that violence and tribalism were not part of NPP's agenda in campaigning for power.

He appealed to NPP members to tell the good story of the NPP Government to people in the opposition parties to enable them to change their minds and join the NPP.

Nana Akufo-Addo said the best party to move Ghana to the middle income status was the NPP and asked Ghanaians not to allow NDC to them through unsubstantiated lies it had resorted to for cheap political points. The presidential candidate reiterated that his vision of institutionalizing a pension scheme for cocoa farmers and making secondary education free was feasible, considering the several policies President Kufuor had implemented to improve the wellbeing of the people. A former NPP Minister of State, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo said the NDC manifesto contained nothing yet the party claimed it had the best policies to move Ghana forward. He asked Ghanaians not to mistakenly vote the NDC back to power because "if after 19 years the state of Ghana was nothing to write home about its clear that even eight years under the constitution will not be sufficient for them".

Mr Osafo Maafo, who is MP for Akyem Oda, said some comments by NDC members were "amusing" and urged Ghanaians to analyze objectively the political trend and vote wisely. Ms Grace Omaboe, popularly called Maame Dorkono, said the NPP was the only party that could guarantee freedom for women and children and called on women to rally behind the party to retain power in the coming elections.

She said she was once an NDC member but joined the NPP based upon objective and critical considerations which indicated that NPP had kept faith with Ghanaians and improved their wellbeing. Ms Omaboe urged Ghanaians who desire Ghana "to move forward irrespective of their political background to be sincere and vote for the NPP which has what it takes to move the nation forward". 26 Oct. 08