Edmond Gyebi
11 August 2008
Tamale — Information reaching The Chronicle indicates that majority of the youth in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Salaga Constituency of the Northern Region have taken an entrenched position to campaign against Nana Akufo-Addo, if he picks Hajia Alima Mahama or any other contestant, other than Alhaji Boniface Saddique.
The aggrieved youth, believed to be in the majority in the Salaga Constituency, disclosed to this reporter that they were in the party basically because of the incumbent Member of Parliament, Abubakar Saddique Boniface, who had drawn them to the NPP from the various political parties, especially the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
It would therefore be suicidal for the party to do anything that is likely to dent its image in the constituency and the nation as a whole. It was for this reason that they are appealing to the flag bearer to carefully scrutinize the list of potential running mates before taking a final decision, threatening to vote "skirt and blouse" if their views were ignored.
"We believe more people will join the (NPP) party if Boniface is picked as a running mate. He is widely respected by members of the opposition parties and religious leaders in the whole of Ghana . We all witnessed that over 100 NDC supporters defected to the NPP just to support Boniface to win the Salaga seat for Nana Akufo-Addo," they explained. On the other hand, the Salaga NPP youth condemned the open endorsement of the former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Jawula by the Paramount Chief of Kpembe Traditional Area, Kpembewura Kebasigi Iddrisu Haruna when Nana Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on him in Salaga.
According to them, the endorsement by the Paramount Chief was to achieve his long standing intention of weakening and disintegrating the NPP in the area.
The Kpembewura, whom they described as a "known sympathizer" of the opposition NDC, had recognized that the NPP in Salaga had steadily grown to become a family unit and the most popular party ever since Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface joined the party from the NDC in 2001.
Mr. Alarbi Salifu, the 2nd vice Chairman of the NPP in the Salaga Constituency, when contacted by The Chronicle confirmed that the NPP in the area has now resolved to support Alhaji Boniface, whom he said had increased the party's supporting base by over 75% within the last few years
He noted that as an executive of the party, he can assure everybody that without Boniface, there is no NPP at salaga
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