The Tamale Metropolis, usually bustling with activities on any afternoon, came to a standstill on Saturday afternoon as the city gave NPP Presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo a grand welcome on his arrival in the city ahead of Tuesday’s Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Presidential debate. Nana Akufo-Addo, who arrived from the Western Region following a five day tour of the region, was met on arrival by thousands of enthusiastic supporters and admirers who braced long distances to meet the man they want to see as Ghana’s President on the outskirts of Tamale. The thousands who waited patiently at Datoyili until the arrival of Nana Akufo-Addo proudly followed it up by heralding the NPP Presidential candidate into the metropolis as a show of the overwhelming support and popularity of the NPP leader in the North and Tamale specifically. As the welcoming party made up of thousands on foot and hundreds of motor bikes entered the metropolis, all activities were virtually halted as many hundreds cheered and waved the slow moving procession through the principal streets of Tamale. The drive from Datoyili into the centre of Tamale which should normally have taken less than 30minutes to complete ended up taking over 4 hours as the charged crowds who poured onto the streets and along the pavements made it impossible for both cars and motorists to move. Nana Akufo-Addo is in Tamale ahead of the IEA debate on Tuesday and would undertake a few visits to parts of the Northern Region before and after the debate.