No one asked us to support Akufo-Addo, declare Joe Ghartey, Osei-Ameyaw

Members of Parliament Joe Ghartey and Kofi Osei-Ameyaw have debunked assertions that Nana Akufo-Addo is calling on other presidential hopefuls to step down for him to be returned unopposed as the party’s flagbearer for the 2016 election.

The two former NPP presidential aspirants made this known on Tuesday when they joined Nana Akufo-Addo to thank Central Region’s 54 delegates in the NPP’s Special Electoral College.

The delegates gave Nana Addo a 94 per cent endorsement.

Addressing the delegates, Mr Osei-Ameyaw stressed that “it is not Nana Akufo-Addo who told me to step down and support him. I want everyone to get it clear. After the August 31 contest, I had 11 days of spiritual introspection with my God and that allowed me to come to the conclusion that I had to support no one but Nana Akufo-Addo. Please, it is never true that Akufo-Addo is asking people to step down for him. It is propaganda that some people are waging against Nana Akufo-Addo and I am urging all of you gathered here not to pay any heed to it.”

The Asuogyaman Constituency MP explained that his decision to support Nana Akufo-Addo was also premised on the fact that delegates of the party had made it emphatically clear that it was Nana Akufo-Addo they wanted to lead NPP on the “united party path” after the August 31 contest, statements, he said he made in his September 11 press conference, when he declared his support for Nana Akufo-Addo.

Re-echoing the sentiments of his colleague MP, Joe Ghartey, a Former Attorney General, told the delegates that immediately after the August 31 contest, he placed calls to members of his campaign team to ascertain the way forward.

He explained that by 7:00am on September 1, he, together with members of his campaign team, had all reached a consensus to step down and not contest the October 18 primary.

“Everyone knows where I stand. However, in Ghana, if you do not make such utterances public, people tend to doubt you. If I want to support Nana, I don’t need anyone to hold my hand to go see him, for me to declare my support. Nana Akufo-Addo and I go way back. He nurtured me to become the lawyer I am today. After the contest, I called Nana Akufo-Addo to assure him of my support,” the Essikado-Ketan Constituency MP said

He indicated that “That’s why I was with him in Tarwka on Monday. We are doing politics not for personal interests. You must be motivated by a higher calling, a call to duty that allows you to take certain decisions at certain times. That is why I am here today with Nana Akufo-Addo. We believe that this party is destined to take Ghana to a better place,” he said.

Guided by this principle, Joe Ghartey noted that it should be very easy for party members to forgive each other after internal contests and move forward.

“We should not hold elections as personal things against one another, and this is what allows me, with 2 votes (from the Central Region), to come and say thank you to you,” he said.

He appealed to the delegates to remain united and ensure that the party wins the majority of parliamentary seats come election 2016, adding: “We want to see Nana Akufo-Addo in the Jubilee House come 2017.”

“We started this party with no expectation, we continue in this party with no expectation. The only expectation is that the NPP will save Ghana, and make this country a better place,” Joe Ghartey concluded.