Flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and President John Mahama yesterday took Accra by storm with a new wave of campaign.
After a successful manifesto launch over the weekend, Nana Addo decided to resume his campaign of the national capital and to thank party faithful for the show of solidarity, pulling a massive crowd at his own backyard, Nima.
Mahama Booed
But President Mahama, who also toured parts of Accra, was however given an embarrassing reception at the Kokompe Spare Parts Market at Darkuman in the Ablekuma North Constituency.
He was reportedly greeted with boos and jeers amidst chants of ‘We want change’ to the discomfort of his handlers.
In one of the scenes from a video believed to have been shot by an amateur photographer which has since gone viral on social media, people were seen hooting at the president and his entourage and signalling for change.
The president reluctantly mustered courage to wave at the jeering crowd from his open top Toyota V8 vehicle.
He later moved to Fadama in the Okaikoi Central Constituency where he met an assemblage of NDC supporters.
Nana Shakes Nima
It was an interesting sight to behold when the NPP leader, Nana Akufo-Addo, took his campaign to Nima.
Thousands of residents of the densely populated community, where he has lived almost his entire life, poured onto the streets and the pavements to welcome him.
On a normal day, a journey from Maamobi to the Nima township should take not more than five minutes; but it took the NPP entourage, led by Nana Addo, some three hours to make it through the thick crowd.
According to some of the residents, the event was unprecedented in the political history of Nima, with cheers of ‘Nana oo Nana,’ ‘Mahama, Time Aso,’ (to wit: ‘Mahama, your time is up’) and ‘We want change.’
Market women had to abandon their wares while business owners came out of their shops.
Commercial drivers parked their vehicles to catch a glimpse of the NPP standard bearer.
As the chants resonated from the crowd, thousands of onlookers rushed towards the principal streets to hail the arrival of the NPP presidential candidate and his team.
Concern
During his interaction with Muslim clerics at the Alesuna Mosque, Nana Akufo-Addo asked them to shun any politician who would come to them and play the tribal and religious cards in the Zongo community.
“They will say Akufo-Addo hates Muslims, does not like people residing in Zongo communities so as to put fear in you. There is not an iota of truth in any of this. Of all the presidential candidates contesting this year’s elections, I’m the only one who has selected a Muslim to be my running mate,” he pointed out.
The NPP leader explained that his choice of Dr. Bawumia since 2008 was because “with Christianity and Islam being the two dominant religions in Ghana, unity amongst these two religions will help spur on the country’s development. The Muslim I chose is not just a Muslim, but a very brilliant Muslim, who can help develop the nation with his in-depth knowledge.”
Nana Akufo-Addo further added that “the talk of the NPP coming into office to drive away residents living in the Zongos is a pure lie.”
That, he said, was because “During President Kufuor’s eight years in office, nothing of this sort ever happened. For a time, I was Attorney General and nothing like that happened.”
“Why would such a thing then happen when I become president?” Nana asked rhetorically.
Advice
He urged the Muslim clerics, together with the youth of Nima to ignore such ‘baseless propaganda’ and rather demand programmes and policies for Zongo communities from the various political parties and their candidates.
The NPP strongman called for the unalloyed support of the clerics and residents of Nima for the NPP and its parliamentary candidates for Ayawaso East, Peter Mireku and Amidu Mohammed Zakari, Ayawaso North.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu