Bismark Bebli
4 August 2008
SECTIONS of the New Patriotic Party youth in the country have kicked against moves to pick Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo's running mate from the Northern Region and have urged the rank and file of the party to look into the middle sector to select the candidate.
According to them, they way and manner that almost five contestants from the Northern Region have been lobbying within the party is creating uneasiness in the party.
Mr. Richard Mills, the spokesperson for the youth thinks that Prof. Ameyaw Akumfi should rather be given the opportunity to partner Akufo-Addo. He told this paper that "This time, we are totally against the notion of selecting or picking the running mate from the North. We believe that we equally have competent people from the Southern and Middle belts that can win more votes for the NPP."
Mills said, "We think that we are all Ghanaians capable of putting our expertise and energy together, for the progress of the nation. We don't think that the vice position is reserved for the people in the Northern region. It is unfair for the NPP that believes in fairness to allow tribalism to determine who wins the elections for us," he said.
According to the concerned NPP youth wing, who were obviously lobbying for Prof. Akumfi, whom they described as result oriented and a true party man, his selection would give all of them further vim, to campaign for the NPP.
Mills and his team believe that the party's Presidential candidate, in collaboration with the elders of the party, would not make the mistake to choose a Northerner.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi, born on 21st January 1945, served in President John Agyekum Kufuor's cabinet in various capacities. He supervised the take off of the upgrading of 110 selected Senior Secondary Schools in the country.
He is also a leading member of Nana Akufo-Addo's campaign team and contested for parliamentary seat in Techiman North constituency of the NPP in 2004.
Mr. Mills, eulogized the achievements of the Ports and Harbour Minister and also tasked the leadership of the NPP to go beyond selecting a candidate from the North. "We can boast of our chances better if we move to the middle sector. The equally qualified candidates from the North can also play major roles in the party.'
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