Violence At NPP Headquarters Must Not Be Repeated - Addai Nimoh

A presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh, has described the violence that took place at the party�s headquarters last Tuesday as an undesirable action which must not be repeated. Sharing his views on the unfortunate incident with the Daily Graphic in an interview on Thursday, Mr Addia-Nimoh said such an incident should not have happened to a party which respects freedom and diverse opinions. Last Tuesday, angry machete-wielding youths stormed the party�s headquarters and disrupted a press conference that was being addressed by the National Chairman of the party, Mr Paul Afoko, and the General Secretary, Mr Kwabena Agyapong. Mr Addai-Nimoh was worried that the incident did not even take place at the constituency or regional levels but at the headquarters which is the heart and soul of the party. He reminded members of the party�s motto, �Freedom in Development�, and asked them to allow that expression to reflect in their actions and utterances. Referring to portions of the party�s constitution, the presidential aspirant said it explicitly admonished members of the party to protect the good name and image of the party and also that each member was obliged to protect the unity and good name of the party. According to him, such acts cannot be countenanced because they bring the name of the party into disrepute and endangers unity, which is the clarion call and key to strengthening the party. Mr Addai-Nimoh, therefore, called on all to bring their experience to bear at this point when the party was positioning itself to wrest power in the 2016 general election. He also advised the seven aspirants vying for the flagbearership to endeavour to promote peace, cohesion and unity in the party. He further urged them to comply with the party�s structures and guidelines for a successful campaign for the 2016 elections. Commenting on his campaign tour of the regions to garner support for his candidacy as one of the five aspirants to be shortlisted for the flagbearership by a Special Electoral College on Sunday, August 31, Mr Addai-Nimoh said so far his interactions with regional chairmen and constituency executives had been positive. He said their response had been very encouraging and those who had met him for the first time were astonished and marvelled at his message for unity, and expressed the hope that delegates who would constitute the Special Electoral College to shortlist five out of the seven aspirants would vote for him during the exercise. Mr Addai-Nimoh said he was trying to reach out to founding members of the party in the various regions who were alive to get their blessing and support. He indicated that he would follow up his campaign with another tour of the Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and Eastern regions and later to the Volta and the Western regions and conclude in Greater Accra for the special delegates poll on Sunday, August 31.