ATTA AKYEA WINS NPP ABUAKWA SOUTH (PAGE 17)

Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Bunso

A renowned Accra-based legal practitioner, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, has been elected the parliamentary candidate for Abuakwa South on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The 46-year-old winner secured 49 votes to beat three other contestants, namely, Kwame Acheampong Boateng, also a lawyer, who had 17 votes, Mrs Gloria Ofori-Boadu, another lawyer and human rights activist, who had 10 votes, and Nana Fredua Ofori-Atta, who had only five votes at the primary held at Bunso yesterday.
The incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is stepping down at the end of the year after three terms in Parliament.
The tensed primary, which was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, was witnessed by some executives of the party, including its flag bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo; the Eastern Regional Chairman, Mr Yaw Gyekye Amoabeng, and the Regional Secretary, Mr Alecs Agobo.
Prior to the election, all the four contestants took turns to convince the delegates of their achievements in their various fields of endeavour and stressed the need for support for whoever would emerge the winner.
While conceding defeat just after the election, the three contestants commended Mr Akyea and pledged their support and co-operation to enable him and the party to emerge winners in the upcoming general election.
For his part, Mr Akyea expressed his appreciation to the losing contestants and the rank and file of the party for their support and asked for their co-operation to enable the party to win the parliamentary seat, as well as the presidential election in the area.
Addressing the delegates later, Nana Akufo-Addo also congratulated Mr Akyea on his election and called for support for him, since his election was not for his personal gain but the collective interest of the party.
He also commended the delegates for demonstrating maturity in the manner in which they exercised their voting rights which made the conduct of the election peaceful, adding that since 1994 Abuakwa South primaries had always been a model for all the 230 constituencies across the country.
“If we shall continue to display this political maturity and unity of purpose in the days ahead of the December elections, no political force can withstand the Elephant, which is more poised to win between 80 and 85 per cent of the ballot cast,” he stated.
To ensure massive victory for the party, Nana Akufo-Addo entreated the polling station chairmen to work harder and encourage their constituents and those who had attained 18 to register in their numbers when the voters register was re-opened.
Recounting the various economic achievements the country had witnessed under the administration of the NPP, the NPP flag bearer said apart from the massive construction of various social amenities such as roads, health facilities and schools buildings, the country’s economy had also become buoyant, although the present government inherited an ailing economy from the previous government.
Nana Akufo-Addo asked Ghanaians to continue to be grateful to God for the blessings He had bestowed on the nation and also pray for good leadership, under which revenue accruing from the oil find would serve the interest of all segments of the population.