Akufo-Addo Encouraged By NPP's Commitment In Talensi

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2016 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) says he remains confident of victory in the 2016 election, despite the ‘disappointing’ result of the by-election in Talensi.

        According to him, the attitude and the commitment of NPP Members of Parliament, national officers, regional, constituency and polling station executives, and the entire membership of the party,  towards the Talensi by-election were very encouraging, and indicative of the fact that the NPP is determined to work hard for victory in 2016.

         “The results were not what we were expecting, but I am not too worried about that, especially as it was a traditional NDC seat. I am interested in the morale and the attitude of our party members that were on display in the campaign and on the day”, a statement issued in Accra on Wednesday by the NPP and made available to the Ghana News Agency quoted Nana Akufo-Addo as saying.

               “The results are disappointing, but the work that was done, coupled with the attitude and commitment of our people towards the work ahead in 2016, was very encouraging,” he said.

                 The NPP flagbearer made this known when five newly-elected parliamentary candidates, together with their constituency chairmen and the unsuccessful parliamentary aspirants, from the Aowin, Bia East, Bia West, Bodi and Juaboso constituencies, all in the Western Region, called on him at his Nima residence, to introduce themselves formally to him.

              Nana Akufo-Addo appealed to the newly-elected candidates to adopt, what he described as, the ‘Talensi Model’ in their respective constituencies, in the run-up to the campaign for 2016.  

               Explaining the ‘Talensi Model’, Nana Akufo-Addo stated that “all the NPP aspirants who contested in the Talensi primaries were all together in the campaign. The aspirants who lost to Thomas Duanab were with him everywhere,  and it helped our campaign. They showed the way, which was that, ‘we are all going to campaign for Duanab’.”

               This model, according to Nana Akufo-Addo, must be replicated in all the  275 constituencies across the country,  if the NPP was to be victorious in 2016.

                He also urged all NPP members, sympathizers,  and well-wishers,  not to be discouraged by the Talensi result, as “this seat was not traditionally our seat.

                 “We shouldn’t be discouraged. We all witnessed the abuse of incumbency in Talensi, to the extent that the entire government machinery descended on this constituency all in the bid to win a by-election. On the contrary, I was impressed by the attitude and morale shown by our party members. If we can replicate this, it will help us a lot,” he added.  

                 The NDC on Tuesday, July 7,  reclaimed the Talensi seat that was only won by the NPP’s Robert Mosore in 2012.