The environs of the Kumasi Central Market were thrown into a joyous mood when Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, one of the presidential aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), visited the market as part of his tour of the Ashanti Region. The aspirant is touring all the 39 constituencies in the region to solicit votes from NPP delegates towards the party’s presidential primary scheduled for August 7, 2010. When news went round that Nana Akufo-Addo was in town, there was spontaneous response, with people moving from all corners of Kumasi to the forecourt of the market to catch a glimpse of the aspirant. Some of the market folk, mainly staunch supporters of the NPP, who spoke to this reporter expressed their desire for Nana Akufo-Addo to win the flagbearership because, according to them, he was the one best fit for that role. It was as if Kumasi was under siege last Monday, as hundreds of party supporters, including market women, took over the entire central part of the city. The situation brought commercial activities to a virtual standstill, as shop owners and traders joined in the euphoria. Traffic also came to a standstill when Nana Akufo-Addo’s motorcade moved slowly through the thick crowd. The aspirant, who was overwhelmed by the reception, came down from his vehicle and walked through the crowd to respond to the cheers. Later, he addressed delegates of the party from the Suame Constituency, calling on them to have confidence in him to lead the party to wrest power from the NDC in 2012. He said the massive reception he had received from delegates and non-delegates alike had reinforced his conviction that he would be chosen to lead the party in the 2012 elections. Watching the crowd which had come out to root for him in the metropolis, the flag-bearer aspirant was convinced that he was in the race to win the flag-bearer slot to wrest power from the NDC. Nana Akufo-Addo called on the party members to maintain the unity of the party, saying the battle for the flag-bearer slot was not a war in the party, saying that the real battle was against the mis-government of the NDC. He said the NDC government had reversed the economic progress made by the Kufuor administration and that it was important that the people vote it out of power in 2012. “But to achieve that, the NPP needs a person with the best chance to win the elections and that person is me,” Nana Akufo-Addo said. Source: Daily Graphic