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Politics of Monday, 17 September 2007

Source: Daily Guide

Akufo-Addo's CampaignTeam In Traffic Accident

Tragedy hit the Akufo-Addo for President Campaign Team on Saturday when a brand-new pick-up van meant for its Brong Ahafo regional co-ordinator was involved in a serious accident in the Eastern region.

Nana Addo was nowhere near the scene of the accident, as he was busy campaigning in the Brong Ahafo Region.

This comes days after a juju composite against the leading New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential aspirant was said to have been found on a tree at Alajo in Accra.

The motor accident happened on the Asamankese-Suhum road, after the driver tasked to deliver the vehicle branched off the Accra-Kumasi road for a ‘personal’ assignment. No fatalities were recorded.

The driver, Stephen Awuku, who works at the Kokomlemle campaign office of the presidential aspirant, suffered a fractured leg after the vehicle somersaulted several times. He is on admission at the Suhum Government Hospital.

According to Mustapha Hamid, spokesperson for the Akufo-Addo Campaign Team, “Nana has spoken to Stevo, who seems to be recovering well.

The vehicle, we hear, is a write-off, but we thank God that there appears to be no serious injuries”.

The vehicle was part of a consignment of 10 brand-new ones procured for Nana Akufo-Addo’s 10 regional co-ordinators who are working for his election as the flagbearer of the NPP in the December 22 National Congress at the University of Ghana, Legon .

The aspirant’s campaign tour, which was initially scheduled to begin last Friday in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions, according to Mustapha, had to be rescheduled, with the northern leg postponed in solidarity with the flood victims.

Instead, Mustapha Hamid was sent up there to deliver ¢200 million worth of relief items on behalf of the aspirant.

At Atebebu, Nana Akufo-Addo took his campaign strategy to another level by meeting about 400 party executives, plus scores of opinion leaders and well-wishers from three constituencies.

People crossed rivers in their numbers to hear Nana speak. The campaign organisers were overwhelmed by the large crowd which came to hear Akufo-Addo’s message of political leadership, loyalty, unity and vision.

Before this, only one aspirant was known to be meeting a wide gathering of constituency executives and polling station chairpersons.

The Atebubu meeting, which had the atmosphere of a mini rally, had all constituency and polling station executives of the party from Pru, Sene and Atebubu-Amantin in attendance.

>From there, Nana Akufo-Addo’s large convoy, which was cheered in every hamlet, village and town it passed through, took the message to Nkoranza, where the aspirant addressed more than 400 party executives and opinion leaders from both Nkoranza North and South.

Nana told potential delegates to vote for a candidate who is popular both within the party and in the country at large.

Speaking in impeccable Twi, he said, “If you choose me, marketing me won’t be difficult because I’m well-known by our grassroots and by even school kids.”

He urged also party members not to lose track of the main task at Legon on December 22.

“The choice is for a political leader, not an economist, a lawyer, etc. We need a candidate we can be confident can win.

A candidate who can first command the respect and admiration of our rank and file, the party’s loyal foot soldiers like yourselves who will be leading our campaign in the communities up and down the country.”

He advised prospective delegates to choose a leader who has been with the party through thick and thin and can unite it and inspire the nation with a vision that can bring everybody on board.

>From Nkoranza, the team travelled to Techiman, where they met constituency and polling station executives and opinion leaders from Techiman North and South constituencies.

Yesterday, the campaign took Nana Akufo-Addo to Wenchi, Sampa, Drobo, Berekum and Sunyani, where altogether, he addressed nearly 1,000 party members.

The well-organised campaign team travels with its own chef, standby generator, and PA system, including a rostrum, microphone and speakers.

The Akufo-Addo Campaign Convoy heads to the Ashanti Region on Thursday where he is expected to meet about 100 executives from all 10 Kumasi constituencies and over 800 polling station executives within the KMA area at the Kumasi Cultural Centre on Friday.