Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, running mate to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday said that the vision of the flag-berear of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to narrow the development gap between the south and the north made him agree to the partnership. This vision seeks to modernise agriculture, improve education, health and water systems, to make the north the food basket of the country, to reduce poverty and youth migration. Dr Bawumia therefore urged northerners to vote massively for the NPP in the December elections to realise the vision. Dr Bawumia was speaking during a courtesy call on the Chief Imam of Wa, Imam Issahaku Yakubu as part of his two-day tour of the Upper West Region to introduce himself to the chiefs and the people to seek for their blessings and support. He said “the vision to narrow the development gap between the south and the north had been a vision the pioneers of northern politics fought for, and this is the vision I am trying to accomplish”. Dr Bawumia said the flag-bearer of the NPP had pledged one billion dollars for the Northern Development Fund to cater for the development needs of the north, pointing out that, it was something nobody had done. He said Nana Akufo-Addo has again promised to make senior high school education free and urged the people not to doubt "because NPP is a party that believes in deliverance." He said it was the aim of the party to provide employable skills for the youth to create jobs for themselves through quality education. The NPP running mate assured Ghanaians that he would not be a Vice President for a group of people but for all the needs, interests, and aspirations of the people would be what he would work for. Dr Bawumia said selecting him as a running mate was destined by God and called on Ghanaians to keep praying for him and the NPP to win the elections. Dr Konadu Apraku, a leading member of NPP said the selection of Dr Bawumia as a running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo was to promote national and religious unity in the country. He said the NPP tradition had consistently kept faith with politicians from the north, than any other political party in the country. He said four presidential candidates of the NPP tradition who hail from the south, had each selected a northern politician to partner them. The Chief Imam Yakubu appealed to leaders of all political parties to prevail on their supporters to give peace a chance in the December 7, elections by avoiding acts that were likely to cause confusion. Source: GNA