The flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has urged the Ghanaian electorate not to fall for President John Mahama’s “JM Toaso” mantra, which he says is deceptive.
Nana Akufo-Addo made the call at the Ayawaso Central Constituency on his Greater Accra Regional campaign tour on Wednesday.
According to Nana, President Mahama cannot call on Ghanaians to give him the mandate to serve as president any longer since he has performed abysmally, plunging the country into economic crisis.
He told party supporters that the ‘JM Toaso’ mantra which literally means ‘John Mahama continue with your administration,’ should not lead them blindly to vote for the Mahama-led government.
“This year, the law of Ghana and God has given the opportunity to end our struggles and hardships we cannot escape from; paying of our school fees and electricity bills. We now have the opportunity to use our thumb to end all that hardship. We can now kick Mahama and his government out and bring the government of development that is the NPP government, into office,” he said.
“Our President John Dramani Mahama has been president for four years and yet he claims his work is not done so he is appealing for four more years. Let’s ask ourselves, every time he says ‘JDM toaso;’ what is he going to continue? I always say, if it will be well, it will be evident from the beginning but I haven’t seen anything,” Nana Addo stressed.
The NPP standard bearer, who is currently on Greater Accra Regional tour, had earlier told supporters at a rally at Weija-Gbawe that they should expect several attempts by President Mahama to ‘buy their votes with goodies’ ahead of the December polls.
He said Ghanaians are no longer interested in the politics of deceit being perpetrated by the NDC. “As election draws closer, expect more goodies from this government. We are going to see this and that.
They are going to spend a lot of money on freebies in a way to convince you to vote for them,” he noted.
Nana Stoned
At Osu in the Klottey Korle Constituency where Nana Akufo-Addo introduced Philip Addison as the party’s parliamentary candidate at a mini rally, the NPP flag bearer was hit with a stone.
An unidentified person in the crowd reportedly hurled a missile at the opposition leader as he was addressing supporters.
As the NPP leader began to plead with supporters to also vote for Philip Addison, he was compelled to pause his delivery, turning to complain to those beside him on the platform that someone had hit him with a stone.
“Someone just threw a stone at me, why?” he wondered. But he quickly resumed his delivery saying, “No problem, this is our politics in Ghana.”
“I would wish that when we are moving [to the Flagstaff House], you allow Philip Addison to come along with me. Our party, the party of the elephant, we know of only one candidate for Klottey Korle. He is Philip Addison. We know of no other person,” he stressed.
No one has been picked up in connection with the incident and the rationale for the attack is unclear.
Appeal
Nana Addo said he would not stop appealing for the support and votes of the electorate ahead of the December 7 elections.
The NPP flag bearer’s comments come on the back of remarks made by President Mahama in the Brong-Ahafo Region that the NPP leader should stop appealing for the support of Ghanaians. Nana Akufo-Addo, whilst addressing artisans at the Arts Centre at Osu, retorted, “I won’t stop appealing to Ghanaians for their votes today, neither will I stop doing so tomorrow.”
According to the NPP standard bearer, “You (President Mahama), on the other hand, who is destroying this country, want the people of Ghana to maintain you in office for another four years? No! That will not happen. That is why elections are held. The people of Ghana are coming to get rid of you and bring in a competent government that can do the work for Ghanaians.”
Policies
“You have been in high office for eight solid years – four years as vice president, four years as president. Yet, we are unable to tell what you have done for Ghanaians. So are Ghanaians going to entrust their mandate to you for another four years? Definitely not,” Akufo-Addo stressed at the Arts Centre.
He assured the gathering that “We are coming into office to fix our broken monetary system, revive the National Health Insurance Scheme which has been collapsed by President Mahama; effectively implement the Free SHS policy and help create jobs through the One District, One Factory policy, amongst others.”
Nana Akufo-Addo added, “All these policies are things I can do. This is why I am emboldened to come before the Ghanaian people and tell them that, God willing, when I win, I am coming into office to implement these policies, so we can return Ghana onto the path of progress and prosperity.”
Ayawaso Central
Prior to his tour of the Klottey Korle, Nana Akufo-Addo campaigned in the Ayawaso Central Constituency, where he interacted with business owners, residents, NPP members and sympathisers.
His tour of the constituency took him to Alajo, Kotobabi trotro station, Newtown Post Office, Mallam Atta market and Tip-Toe Lane, at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange.
Accompanied by the MP for the constituency, Henry Quartey, who is also the current NPP parliamentary candidate; former Greater Accra Regional Minister and former MP for Ayawaso Central, Sheikh I.C. Quaye; Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, Ishmael Ashitey and the regional executives, amongst others, Nana Akufo-Addo assured the constituents of an improvement in their living conditions when, God willing, he wins this year’s election.
At Tip-Toe lane, widely acknowledged as the capital’s mobile phone wholesale and retail hub, Nana Akufo-Addo, who was mobbed by hundreds of business owners, assured them that his government, from January 2017, would provide a conducive and enabling business environment for their businesses to flourish.
A DAILY GUIDE Report