An aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership, Mr. Kwabena Agyepong, has completed a two-week tour of the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions where he solicited the support of party delegates to choose him to lead the party in the 2008 elections.

The visit is the second stage for Mr. Agyepong to the regions, which took him to the 49 constituencies in the three regions, including the remotest places like Yagba/Kobore, Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo, Kpandai, Zabzugu/Tatale in the Northern Region and Wechiau in Wa West.

Mr. Kwabena Agyepong, who was the Press Secretary to the President, is preparing grounds to win the upcoming NPP National Delegates congress to choose a flagbearer to lead the party in the 2008 elections.

Some delegates from the Tamale South constituency, who Mr. Agyepong addressed, later told the GNA in an interview that delegates had been inspired by his unique messages, which touched their hearts and would have no choice than to choose him as a flagbearer of the NPP.

At other constituencies, there were open public pledges of support for Mr. Agyepong who, some said, could lead NPP to victory since he gained much experience under President Kufuor when he was the Press Secretary.

In an interview with the GNA in Tamale after the visits, Mr. Agyepong expressed optimism that the ground support from delegates in all areas visited had given him the maximum confidence that he had won the primaries already.

He said some of the delegates in the remote constituencies commended him for being the only Presidential aspirant in the current race to visit them, an indication that he had won their support.

On the assumption that he would withdraw from the race later and support one of the aspirants, Mr. Agyepong said, "What would make me to withdraw. I have already visited the three Northern Regions twice, which none of the aspirants had done. In any case why can't some of them withdraw and join me."

He appealed to all party delegates not listen to hearsay and let it affect their decisions and urged the other aspirants to embark on a clean campaign to ensure that the party remained united after the congress.

Source: GNA