Ashanti Regional NDC laud Akufo-Addo
The Deputy Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Sawyerr Ativor, has praised Nana Akufo-Addo for the swift congratulatory message he sent to President Mahama after the Supreme Court’s ruling that affirmed the president's election.
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Speaking to the Daily Graphic, he said the posture of Nana Akufo-Addo in the immediate aftermath of the court ruling had added another victory to the Supreme Court’s judgement.
According to him, the party in the region saw the verdict as victory for Ghana and not the NDC alone.
Mr Ativor said when he listened to the BBC report on the judgement praising Ghana for the strides the nation had made in democracy and rule of law, “I felt proud to be a Ghanaian," and expressed his delight with the way Kumasi remained calm before and after the verdict.
In Kumasi itself, which is a stronghold of the NPP, there was no jubilation after the ruling. Many of the drinking spots were closed before the ruling and reopened after the judgement but people were quiet. Even in the Zongo areas where the NDC had a strong support base, one could see no sign of jubilation.
However, the Daily Graphic spotted pockets of people at Asawase and Aboabo, suburbs in Kumasi, sporting smiling faces and discussing the outcome of the matter.
Earlier on Thursday, Kumasi, arguably the epicentre of Ghanaian politics, had been in an expectant mood as residents waited for the Supreme Court’s ruling on the presidential election petition.
Discussions of the petition dominated radio stations with panelists and people who called in expressed the hope that the outcome of the ruling, no matter who won, would mark a turning point in national electoral reforms.
The Daily Graphic also spotted people at some corners and in the streets talking about the judgement.
Supporters of the NDC and NPP were convinced they had a good case to carry the day in court. That notwithstanding, the party supporters believed that the day belonged to the nine justices who determined the outcome of the petition.
In the morning, the regional leaders of the NDC and NPP arranged a last minute peace walk; the second in a week, to drum home the need for peace after the ruling.
The NDC Regional Chairman, Mr Yaw Obimpeh and his NPP counterpart, Mr F.F. Anto, were confident that the peace message had gone down well with their members and that the city, and for that matter the region would come clean after the ruling.
By Kwame Asare Boadu/Daily Graphic/Ghana