Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur addressing the NDC rally in Kumasi
Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur on Saturday expressed delighted at a crowd of National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters in Kumasi as the Ashanti Regional branch of the party launched its campaign with a rally.
Hundreds of people turned out at the city’s Jubilee Park for the campaign launch in a bid to garner ‘one million’ votes in the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) stronghold for President John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking to the crowd, the vice president, who doubles as President Mahama’s running mate, said the NDC supporters had shown love for the president by turning up in their numbers, but urged them to let that translate into real votes to retain him (president) as leader of the nation.
According to him, there had never been any person more qualified and competent for the presidential office apart from his boss, who he claimed had done a lot to improve the welfare of the citizens through infrastructure development.
“JM has done a good job and he deserves our support for his re-election. He has given Ashanti Region its fair share of infrastructural development. We can talk of hospitals, the Kejetia project and water for the people of Kumawu and Mampong. That’s the truth,” he stated.
Mr Amissah-Arthur thrilled the huge crowd when he said that it would not be a bad idea if the party’s grassroots delivered 1.5 million votes for the NDC in the region that has the largest population and constituencies.
“We have projected one million, but I will not reject 1.5 million votes proposition by Kofi Adams, who is the campaign coordinator. It will definitely be an excitement for us,” the veep told the crowd.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, John Alexander Ackon, stated that the NDC was ready to consolidate the gains made so far with a view to better the lot of Ghanaians.
Amid thunderous applause and cheers from the crowd, Ackon touted the economic success of the NDC government, indicating that that was just the foundation stone for the real takeoff.
Speaker after speaker described the NDC as the party for the masses, committed to make things better for Ghanaians, irrespective of one’s background.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi