Milling crowd await Mills to pick nomination forms

Accra, May 5, GNA - All is set for President John Evans Atta Mills to pick his nomination forms from the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to contest for the party's ticket in the 2012 presidential election.

As early as 0600 hours, a milling crowd of party supporters faithful to President Mills had thronged the NDC headquarters anxiously waiting for his arrival.

There is also heavy security and media presence. Television crews have mounted cameras at the roads leading to the NDC headquarters to capture the moments of his arrival and activities of President Mills who, the party faithful believe, will get an overwhelming support at its Congress scheduled for Sunyani from July 8-10 and lead the party again to victory in the December 2012 elections.

The party faithful, in a jubilant mood, have been drumming, singing and dancing as they wait for the arrival of the president. They are dressed in 93T" shirts and are holding placards with various messages.

Some of the placards read: 93Atta Mills will deliver cadres". Cadres declare Atta Mills for 2012" and 93Cadres trust Atta Mills for 2012".

Inscriptions on some of the 93T" shirts read: 93Ghana will not die= " and "Ye Tuaso." Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, one of President Mills' bitterest critics, recently resigned from the NDC executive as vice president and picked her nomination forms on Tuesday to challenge the president. She launched her campaign on Wednesday.

In an interview Mr Danny Annan, a vice president of the party, said he believed that the Rawlingses would return and give their support to President Mills after the Sunyani Congress. He said the NDC, a democratic party, was open to a healthy contest within the party, adding that the party had survived such troubled times and emerged stronger.

"We have seen the Goosie Tanohs, the Obed Asamoahs and now the Rawlingses. We hope and we are sure that the party will come out stronger and decisively win the 2012 elections.

"Remember ours is a Congress. We have come from many places to form a family. Thus we welcome everyone who goes out and wants to come back."

According to President Mills' itinerary, after picking the forms, he would proceed to his Campaign Headquarters at Kuku Hill, Osu, where he would outdoor his campaign team and address NDC delegates, supporters and the media.