The 2008 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a leading contender in the party’s flagbearership race, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, believes Professor John Evans Atta Mills and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration have mismanaged Ghanaian economy to the extent that it is heading for collapse.

He, therefore, charged Ghanaians to show them the exit, come December 2012, since according to him, the NDC as a party and a government does not have the slightest idea about how to manage and run a country.

Addressing party delegates at the Tip Toe Lane in Accra on Wednesday, as part of his campaign in the Ayawaso Central Constituency, Nana Addo said “The NPP must come back in 2012 to inject fresh energy into the Ghanaian economy, which is now crawling under the Mills administration; and this will surely happen if we elect the most popular and experienced candidate to lead the party into that fight.”

For this reason, he tasked delegates who would be voting in the forthcoming party primary to work harder after the NPP congress to help the party win the votes of majority of Ghanaians in the 2012 elections.

Over the years, Nana Addo noted, the NDC as a party has not proven straightforward in their ways, and for that matter it would be important for the NPP to strengthen its grassroots to ensure victory is not stolen from them in the coming elections.

He was optimistic that when presented as the presidential candidate of the NPP again, the party would recapture power.

“I am confident that by the grace of God and with unity within our ranks, if you elect me as flag-bearer into the 2012 general elections, victory will come our way as a party,” he intimated.

With him were Sheik I.C Quaye, MP for Ayawaso Central; Prof. Mike Oquaye, MP for Dome Kwabenya and Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament; Madam Frema Akosua Osei-Opare, MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon; Shirley Ayokor Botchway, MP for Weija; Elizabeth Sackey, MP for Okaikoi North; Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula, former chief Director at the Ministry of Health; and Lord Commey, the immediate past National Organiser of the NPP, as well as his ‘Victory 2012’ campaign team.

“Put your ears down and choose a candidate whom the majority of Ghanaians are calling for to lead our great party once again in the upcoming election and vote him as flag-bearer of our party, so that our work in 2012 would be easier,” Nana encouraged.

He stressed the need for unity in the NPP, advising delegates and supporters of the party to rally behind any candidate who emerges flagbearer, since he believes the NPP is larger than any individual seeking to lead the party.

To this end, he indicated that the results of the upcoming NPP flagbearership contest on August 7, “would determine the fate of our dear nation in the upcoming years”, believing that a successful primary by the party, with the most experienced and popular candidate elected as flagbearer, would increase the party’s chances and promote unity for it to wrestle power from the ruling NDC.

Later at the Apostolic Church in Nima, where Nana Akufo-Addo and his team met with delegates of the Ayawaso East Constituency, there was near-stampede due to the fact that the majority of residents consider him one of their own - a ‘Nima Boy’.

Hundreds of party faithfuls clad in NPP colours and dozens on motorbikes escorted him as he walked from Nima Roundabout through to the Apostolic Church where he and his team met with the delegates.