Sunyani gears up for NPP confab
The Brong Ahafo Regional capital, Sunyani, is gearing up to host the extraordinary national delegates’ conference of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) this weekend.
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The conference taking place at the Sunyani Coronation Park, will see a wrap-up of the party’s 2015 activities, which have been very eventful.
It will also see the unveiling of the campaign team of the 2016 Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, following its endorsement by the National Executive Committee and the National Council of the party.
The conference will also set the agenda and framework for the 2016 campaign to show the world that the NPP is ready to take on the task of winning next year’s general election.
Officials and supporters
About 10,000 NPP officials and supporters are expected to throng the capital, which has witnessed political activities at the national level in the Fourth Republic.
The NPP last held its national conference in Sunyani in 1996 during which then Mr John Agyekum Kufuor was elected to lead the party.
Before the 2012 election, the ruling National Democratic Congress held its national congress during which Professor John Evans Atta Mills was re-elected as the party’s presidential candidate.
He was challenged by former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, who later broke away to form her own party.
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During those conferences, the entire Sunyani township burst at its seam with the sheer numbers of delegates and supporters who thronged the capital.
Party flags
Residents of Sunyani and its nearby towns such as Fiapre and Abesim are beginning to feel the presence of NPP in the region as the blue, red and white colours of the party’s flag are now flying high.
These flags have been hoisted on electric poles and rooftops in all the principal streets of Sunyani, while some die-hard supporters of the party are sometimes seen draped in NPP colours.
The posters of the flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, and his running mate, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, have also not been left out. They have been posted on all the electric poles and walls of private properties.
The NPP MP for Sunyani East, who is also the party’s parliamentary candidate for 2016, Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, has also taken advantage of the upcoming conference to splash his posters alongside Nana Addo and Bawumia.
Accommodation
With the sheer number of delegates and supporters expected in the capital, it will be difficult for all of them to obtain decent accommodation in the limited hotels and hostels.
Already, all the major hotels and hostels have been booked and it is expected that every available accommodation will be taken over by NPP during the conference.
The Regional Communication Director of the party, Mr Malik Adjei, told the Daily Graphic that all hotels in the nearby districts capitals such as Berekum, Duayaw-Nkwanta, Bechem and Techiman would be booked for the occasion.
During the 2012 National Delegates Congress of the NDC, a lot of rooms in even some private homes were made available to some supporters of the party.
It is expected that NPP will rely on the generosity of landlords in Sunyani, some of whom will be ready to host some delegates and supporters of the party.
Delegates and supporters
Mr Adjei explained that 7,000 of the party’s former ministers, former district chief executives, former and current constituency and regional executives, founding fathers, among others, were expected to take part in the conference.
He added that supporters from the region and beyond would also want to take advantage to “come to Sunyani to catch a glimpse of Nana Akufo Addo, who is our president in waiting.”
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“We estimate that these people will not be less than 3,000, hence, we are expecting not less than 10,000 NPP faithful in Sunyani during the weekend.”
‘Arise and capture power’
Nana Akufo Addo’s national tour gingered party supporters to ‘Arise and Build’ and Mr Adjei says the extraordinary conference will be based on the theme: “Rise and Capture Power in 2016”.
That, according to him, is meant to challenge party faithful to brace themselves for the battle ahead in 2016.
Food vendors
Food vendors in Sunyani told the Daily Graphic that they are bracing themselves for the opportunity to make money for the Christmas festivities.
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