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Regional News of Monday, 23 February 2004

Source: GNA

Unity is key to victory in Upper West - NPP Chairman

Wa, Feb. 23, GNA - Alhaji Abudulai Issahaque, Upper West Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on members of the party in the region not to allow their differences to over-shadow their goal of winning at least six of the eight constituencies in the region. "It is regrettable that we have not been able to win a single seat for the party since 1992, but this year offers a better opportunity to reverse this trend," he noted.

Alhaji Issahaque said this when he addressed 40 party activists in the region at a capacity-building workshop which ended at Wa at the weekend.

It was organised by the National Secretariat of the party with five participants drawn from each of the eight constituencies in the region. Alhaji Issahaque said the resources being used to educate them on how to strategise and plan to mobilise votes would be in vain if they failed once again to win any seat.

"The time when we used fear, intimidation and lack of resources as reasons to shun party activities are gone. We are now in power and it will be a disgrace to all of us if we loose again," he pointed out. Mr Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the party, who opened the workshop said the liberal philosophy of the government should reflect on how the party was run at all levels.

He asked party executives to learn to sacrifice towards the course of the party and accommodate everyone who wants to join, since it was through mass mobilisation of votes that the party could achieve its target of winning 140 seats in the next elections.

Mr Botwe, however, stated that though the party would receive new members with glee, it would not compromise with indiscipline in its bid to attract votes.

Mr Sahanun Mogtari, Upper West Regional Minister advised contestants of the party's parliamentary primaries to refrain from vilifying one another since that could have negative impact on the growth of the party in the region.