Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, has described the Central Region as a “key battleground region”, which the NPP has to win if they are to secure outright victory in the 2016 elections.

On the 1^st day of his “Rise and Build Tour” of the Central Region, Nana Akufo-Addo charged regional and constituency executives, as well as parliamentary candidates and their fellow competitors to work hard so the NPP can take back the 10 marginal seats it lost to the NDC in the Central Region in 2008, whilst at the same time maintaining the 7 seats it holds currently.

He explained that there 14 constituencies in the Central Region where the margin of victory is 10% or less, either for NDC or NPP. Out of these 14 constituencies, 10 are NDC-held constituencies, whilst 4 are held by the NPP.

The 10 marginal NDC-held constituencies are Agona West, Ejumako Enyan Esiam, Asikuma Odoben Brakwa, Assin North, Awutu Senya West, Cape Coast North, Cape Coast South, Gomoa East, Hemang Lower Denkyira and Mfantseman.

“These are the marginal NDC seats they have today, which we are going to win in 2016,” he said, with a roar of approval from the gathering.

The 4 NPP marginal seats, namely, Assin South, Awutu Senya East, Effutu and Upper Denkyira East, he, however, indicated would be retained by the NPP, thereby making the NPP the majority party in the Central Region.

“This shouldn’t come as a surprise, we have done it before. We have the opportunity in 2016 to repeat it and have an outright victory this time round,” he added.

However, for this to become reality, Nana Akufo-Addo, like he has done in the 6 regions visited so far, urged all party faithful in the region to foster togetherness amongst their ranks.

“If we are united, there is nothing that we cannot do. We are the majority party in Ghana, and the time to show it is in the coming election in 2016,” he noted, stressing that “victory is within our grasp,” the NPP flagbearer said.

He added, “Let us all put our shoulders to the wheel. We win the Central Region and we win the 2016 election. I am confident, from what I have witnessed in this room today, that we are going to win the election of 2016.” 

To the people of the Central Region, Nana Akufo-Addo reiterated his pledge of not coming into office to steal the monies of Ghana, urging them to have confidence in him.

“I am coming to do an honest job for Ghana. Our nation’s money will not find its way into my pockets. I am coming to do a job for Ghanaians, so they can have their economic freedom.”

The legacy of his government, he assured the people of the Central Region, will be to create the requisite conditions for the private sector of Ghana’s economy to take off and flourish.

“(This is) not the usual talk about the private sector being the engine of growth. We will put concrete steps in place to grow the private sector, which will in turn develop Ghana. That will be the legacy of the next NPP government,” he added.