Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has heavily descended on President John Dramani Mahama to accord Ghanaians with some measure of intelligence, saying his (Mahama’s) ‘one-touch victory’ refrain is clearly an insult to them.

According to Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghanaians have experienced, and continue to experience untold hardships under the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and will vote wisely next year to elect a competent government that will solve their problems.

The NPP flagbearer, who was angry at President Mahama’s comment, reacted to it on Tuesday when he was addressing NPP faithful on the second day of his three-day tour of the Eastern Region, “You have messed up the economy, given the people an exchange rate that is unstable, plagued their livelihoods with dumsor, ensured that on daily basis the prices of goods and services skyrocket; you increase utility tariffs astronomically, preside over widespread corruption, the youth of our country cannot get jobs, our health and education systems are in deep crisis, and you expect them to reward you with a ‘one touch’ victory?” Akufo-Addo quizzed.

“Ghanaians are smarter than you think. They are discerning and will vote in 2016 based on their livelihoods. They will take a look at their standards of living and cast their votes,” Nana underscored.

Media War

Whilst charging NPP members to remain resolute in the party’s quest to win the 2016 elections, the leader of the party reiterated his call on members to desist from resorting to the media to discuss internal party issues.

“I am appealing to NPP members once again to discuss internal matters using party structures. If we are going on radio, the people of Ghana expect us to use this medium to expose the deficiencies and failures of the NDC government.

That’s what we should be using our time on the radio to do, and not to talk about ourselves. That’s our role as a party in opposition,” he admonished.

Party Money

Nana Akufo-Addo told the gathering that at the last meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee, a five-man committee was instituted to investigate allegation of party money getting lost.

“It is not as if nothing is being done about it. Something is being done about it, and it is being done within the structures of our party. These internal matters, I appeal to you, let’s keep them as internal matters. The constant resort to the radio to put out information about the party is not helping anybody; it is not helping our party. We have to bring it to a stop, “Nana Akufo-Addo charged.

Be Focused

The NPP flagbearer assured the gathering that in spite of the present happening in the party, he remained focused. “I am not going to allow myself to be distracted by what is happening.”

Akufo-Addo’s focus, he said, is to “mobilize the majority of the people of Ghana to get the change that they deserve in the 2016 elections.” He urged all NPP members and sympathizers across the country to join hands with him and help build Ghana again.