*Saturday, July 24, 2010:-* Nana Akufo-Addo’s humble appeal to supporters of the New Patriotic Party to stop the “NO NANA NO VOTE” slogan has definitely fallen on deaf ears as more and more party supporters continue to chant the same message throughout his Greater Accra tour.
The slogan which began in the Central Region when Nana Akufo-Addo commenced his National Campaign tour in his bid to lead the NPP has obviously peaked in Accra. Nana Akufo-Addo’s Victory 2012 Campaign Team have been met everywhere in the capital with the “NO NANA NO VOTE” chorus.
The slogan according to most party activists has become necessary in order to send a clear message to all delegates across the country that Nana Akufo-Addo is their preferred choice.
They contend that the reason for sticking to the slogan despite calls to them by the Nana Akufo-Addo himself to desist from it is to make their message clear to delegates across the entire nation before they choose a wrong candidate for the party.
A market Woman at the Kaneshie Market who choose to be identified as Nana Hemaa said the “NO NANA NO VOTE’’ slogan must continue till the day of the contest since some delegates have forgotten about Nana Akufo-Addo’s contribution and loyalty towards the development of NPP over the years.
She continued that “Nana’s performance in the last elections clearly shows that he would repeat the record Former President Kufour set in the year 2000 when he was presented for the second time.”
“If the NPP delegates fail to elect Nana Akufo-Addo as Flag bearer on August 7, I’m afraid the party will stay in opposition for long’’ she said.
A Petty trader at the Okaishie market remarked that the NPP would lose the votes of her entire family of nine in the 2012 general election if the party presents any candidate apart from Nana Akufo-Addo.
She argued that Nana Akufo-Addo has been well marketed and must therefore be allowed to contest the next general election once more due to the high number of votes he pulled for the party in the 2008 election.
“If the NPP delegates change Nana then my family, and I believe many other families would not vote at all’ she said.
A motorist in the korley Klottey Constituency upon Nana Akufo-Addo’s arrival in the constituency observed that the NDC was afraid of Nana and hence their decision to endorse some of his contenders as better candidates for the party.
“It is the NPP that is considering who to lead the party in the 2012 election and therefore why is the NDC endorsing another candidate and criticising Nana. As for me, it simply tells me that Nana is the one they know can snatch power from them in 2012. They are simply afraid of him’’ he said.
In the Ledzorkuku Constituency, as has been the case in many other places across the country, Nana Akufo-Addo and his Team were met with dozens of placards with messages such as “NO NANA NO VOTE”, ‘‘WITHOUT NANA FORGET ABOUT 2012”, “NANA IS OUR ONE AND ONLY”, and “WE WANT NANA”.
Mr. Richard Obiri Yeboah, the Adenta Constituency Chairman disclosed that he and his entire executives will vote for Nana Akufo-Addo in the August 7 Contest because all over Adenta and its environs what majority of the party’s supporters keep saying is that “NO NANA NO VOTE”.
He continued that “we are in office because of the people. When we go out, the only thing supporters tell us is “NO NANA NO VOTE”. As responsible leaders who want to see the NPP back in power in 2012, we consider it a duty to party and country, to work for Nana in the constituency.”
After four days of campaigning in the region, it is evident that party supporters have identified the “NO NANA NO VOTE” chorus as the best possible way of sending a strong message to all delegates across the country that Nana Akufo-Addo remains their preferred choice for the 2012 general elections.