Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has expressed confidence in the ability of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to lead the New Patriotic Party to victory in the 2012 general election. The former President also believes Nana Addo, the 2012 Presidential Candidate of the NPP is well-positioned to become the kind of President the nation requires to lead its development agenda to the next level desired by all, given his wealth of political experience and proven leadership qualities. He has therefore called on all members of the party to remain united and work harder to enable Nana Addo lead the NPP to victory and thus build on the enduring legacy his government left for the country. Former President Kufuor was speaking at a cocktail reception organized by Nana Addo at his Nima residence in his honour as part of the celebration of his 72nd birthday and in commemoration of his historic victory in the 2000 presidential election. The occasion attracted party elders and gurus, including K.T Teddem, Chairman of Council of Elders, J.H Mensah, former Senior Minister, Mrs Adu Boahen, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, former vice president, Alan Kyeremanten, former ambassadors, some Members of Parliament and party executives from all the 10 Regions. Former President Kufuor who could not hide his excitement about the honour bestowed on him was happy about the current sense of unity and brotherliness in the party, stressing the urgent need for the party’s leadership, as well as the rank and file, to maintain it. “I am overcome by what I am seeing tonight…that party people from all the 10 Regions are here tonight. It is my prayer that we stay together like this. If we stay together like this, I can assure you that come 2012, we are going back to the Jubilee House,” he stated to a loud groundbreaking applause from the cowd. Mr Kufuor extolled the credentials of the NPP, describing it as a party with enduring tradition that will always stand the test of time. “This party has an enduring tradition; a tradition that will never die; a tradition founded on respect for humanity. Our forefathers choose respect for humanity as the corner stone of our ideology because we believe the human being is central to everything we do,” he affirmed. According to former President Kufuor, the NPP has always occupied a unique position in the nation’s political scheme of affairs, adding “whenever the people entrust the leadership of the country into our hands, the nation prospers because we believe in using power to serve the people and not to oppress them.” He noted that the NPP has always been concerned about the handicapped in society, explaining that this was the driving force behind the implementation of pro-poor policies like free basic education, school feeding programme and National Health Insurance by his administration. “I am convinced when Nana Addo becomes the President he will carry it further and fulfill his promise to make secondary education free for all,” he added. Source: Herbert Krapa/NPP Communications Directorate