Chronicle

"NPP smells victory in year 2000 after Ablekuma blitz: Mills Can't fly. Rawlings' exit spell doom for NDC," is the headline of the Ghanaian Chronicle. The paper claims that "the absence of President Rawlings at the polling grounds and the lack of pizzazz in NDC's flagbearer Professor Atta-Mills, produced electoral results at Ablekuma last Friday that indicated what the year 2,000 elections would be like." In the electoral area which was picked up by President Rawlings in 1996 with the NPP losing 45 of the 106 polling booths, the NPP turned the figures round and won more than 83 of the 106 polling stations, capturing the usually pro-NDC Ayigbe towns (Ewe settlements) along the way, reports the Chronicle. According to the Chronicle both Presidential candidates, Mr. J.A. Kufuor and Professor Atta-Mills worked the ground intensely with the NDC throwing in everything they had into the contest. One NPP spokesperson Honourable Kwamena Bartels is said to have exulted "We know how to beat the NDC now and we are convinced that 2,000 is in the bag." Mr. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey described as the "generalissmo" (NPP Greater Accra Chairman) was commended for "brilliantly directing and winning the "Battle of Ablekuma". The Chronicle comments "if Rawling absence drained the NDC electoral machine his spouses' entry into Ablekuma to campaign on behalf of the NDC candidate Mr. Ismail Bawa was a kiss of death". It claims that Mrs Rawlings speech loaded with threats on the campaign grounds was a major turn-off for the residents in the area who openly identified with her, husband's message and legacy of 'positive defiance'. According to the report, the residents openly declared: "They (NDC) can stop the road construction. We are now going to vote in reaction to the first Lady's threats."