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Former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Robert Yaw Amankwah, says he fully supports Nana Akufo-Addo�s bid to lead the party, as its presidential candidate, into the December 2016 election. Chairman Amankwah, a former staunch ally of Mr. Alan Kyerematen, indicated on Friday, September, 19, 2014, at a �Thank You� meeting between Nana Akufo-Addo and �super delegates� from the Ashanti Region who voted in the August 31 Special Electoral College, that he had never supported Nana Akufo-Addo in any presidential primary of the party, right from 1998, 2007 to 2010. However, he stated that over the years Nana Akufo-Addo had proven loyal and committed to the ideals of the NPP, and as a former chairman of the party in the Ashanti Region who remains in constant touch with the grassroots, he is in no doubt that Nana Akufo-Addo is the choice of the grassroot supporters of the party and the Ghanaian populace at large. �I support Akufo-Addo because we serve the NPP, and everyone in the NPP says Nana Akufo-Addo is the one they want. If everyone is saying it is Nana, and his record in the party speaks for itself, why would I want to stay out of the winning team? My support is for no one but Nana Akufo-Addo,� Chairman Amankwah declared much to the delight of delegates, who offered him a standing ovation. He continued, �If you go to school and cannot even pass the standard 7 examination, how then can you tell all of us that you will get a degree from the university?�, in an apparent reference to some presidential aspirants who claim to have the ability to win general elections, despite not being able to win �a small contest of 740 delegates in the party.� Chairman Amankwah urged the 25,654 delegates who will vote in the October 18 contest from the Ashanti region to ensure that they contribute their quota to ensuring an improvement of the August 31 Special Electoral College result, which saw Nana Akufo-Addo record an overwhelming 80.81% endorsement from the delegates. On the claim being made by some persons alleging intimidation of delegates and coercion of support for Nana Akufo-Addo, Chairman Amankwah rubbished those allegations, describing them as an insult to the intelligence of delegates like himself. �No one can force me to support anyone in this party. I am 69 years old and you should not insult my intelligence. No one can say I was forced to support Nana. I am supporting Nana Akufo-Addo out of my own free will and we will make sure he wins the October 18 contest massively, and the 2016 election, God-willing,� he added. Present at the event were, amongst others, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, 2008 and 2012 running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo; Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu, Minority Leader in Parliament and MP for Suame; F.F. Anto, 3rd National NPP Vice Chairman; Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, MP for Kwadaso; Hon. Isaac Asiamah, MP for Atwima Mponua; Hon. Elizabeth Agyeman, Chairperson of NPP parliamentary caucus from the Ashanti region and MP for Oforikrom; Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi, former deputy Regional Minister; Stephen Ntim, former NPP 1st National Vice Chairman; Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, former General Secretary of the NPP; Dr. Nsiah Asare, former CEO of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital; 15 regional executives; and 47 constituency chairmen.