Nana Akufo-Addo and his running mate Bawumia at Holland Base.
The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has made a move to reconcile constituency and regional executives as well as several youth groups sympathetic to the party.
This has been occasioned by the seeming divisions in the party following the tragic death of Alhaji Adams Mahama, former NPP chairman in the Upper East Region.
It will be recalled that the murder of Adams Mahama through acid attack triggered a series of events which resulted, among other things, in some regional executives of the party being classified as “persona non-grata” by some members of NPP youth groups, who believed that those executives were against Adams Mahama.
However, after the adua (funeral) of Adams Mahama at the Jubilee Park in Bolgatanga on Sunday, June 7, 2015, Nana Akufo-Addo held discussions with NPP executives and the four youth groups in a reconciliatory manner.
Together with members of his team, the NPP leader first met all 15 constituency chairpersons. He listened to their grievances and assured them of his continued support for the region in these difficult times. The chairpersons in turn pledged to continue with the plans laid down by the late Adams Mahama, which included annexing at least eight out of 15 parliamentary seats from the region. They also gave the assurance that they would do all they could to make Nana Akufo-Addo garner more votes in the region in the 2016 presidential election.
At the same venue, and after meeting the constituency chairpersons, Nana met with 13 out of the 15 regional executives, including those who had gone into hiding after the death of Adams Mahama, having been accused by some irate party youth of working against the late Chairman.
At the meeting, Nana Akufo-Addo stated that his main priority was the guaranteeing of the security of all the regional executives, as well as ensuring togetherness among the executives. This, according to him, is the only way the party can prosecute a successful campaign in memory of the late regional chairman.
After the meeting, Nana visited all the four main youth groups in Bolgatanga, namely Holland Base, Atlantic Base, Zongo Youth Association and Dazoota Youth, with the same peace and reconciliation message.
All the groups unanimously agreed to work with the regional executives and help them prosecute a successful campaign in honour of their hero, Chairman Adams.
The party in the region was most grateful to its presidential candidate and pledged to deepen the process of peace and reconciliation to continue with the task ahead of them towards election 2016.