First of all, let us give thanks to Almighty God for this day which has seen our event pass off in peace and solidarity. Praise and Glory be to his Name. Amen.
I am particularly grateful to my beautiful wife, Rebecca, and our daughters for their patience, understanding and support throughout this arduous campaign.
To the 107,116 delegates of our great party, who cast their vote, giving us a 95 per cent turnout, I thank you. I’m humbled. My gratitude knows no bounds. I thank you all – from the polling station executives, through the electoral area coordinators, constituency and regional officers, Nasara Club members, TESCON members to our members from the external branches who took time off to fly back home to cast their votes. I thank you. Thank you so very much.
You heard the voices of the people on the ground and voted with them in mind. I thank you and them – the market women, the taxi drivers, the farmers, the fishermen, the workers, the students, the teachers, the nurses, the traders, the businesspersons, the professionals and so many well-meaning Ghanaians. I want also to place on record my gratitude to the Inspector General of Police, Regional Police Commanders, and all the police officers who provided security for my campaign as I traveled throughout the country. God bless each and everyone of you.
Let me also extend my gratitude to all others who contributed in diverse ways, including the prayer warriors and millions of Ghanaians who used their voices and prayers for this victory.
I am humbled also by the fact that, today, I have received from our party the greatest endorsement of any leader of our tradition. This is beyond my wildest imagination. Thank you. Thank you so very much. I promise you, I will not let you down this time.
You can be sure of one thing this evening – they, at the Castle, can hear all this cheering coming down the 28 February Road to Castle Road, and I am sure they are paying rapt attention because today the NPP has spoken with one strong voice.
The message is loud and clear:
THE NPP IS READY, STEADY, UNITED AND GOING FOR VICTORY IN 2012!
BE PREPARED!
I thank the Electoral Commission for supervising and conducting this historic election and the mass media for keeping the Ghanaian people informed on proceedings right from the August 2009 constitutional amendments at the La Trade Fair Site to tonight. Our immediate past-National Chairman, Peter Mac Manu, and his executives, are to be congratulated for steering through these far-reaching amendments, which are already serving us so positively and which are contributing greatly to the renewal of our party at its grassroots.
A special gratitude to the National Chairman, Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, and his national team, all regional and constituency officers for defying the odds to organise this historic presidential primary in such a successful kra be hwe manner. Two hundred and thirty one (231) simultaneous polls across the constituencies of Ghana – in a cordial, peaceful, free, fair and transparent manner. Ayekoo! This is excellent!
I, also, want to take this opportunity to thank the party’s National Council of Elders, the National Elections Committee, as well as all the various Elections Committees, for the mature and responsible manner with which they guided the conduct of this historic election.
So far, this is, no doubt, the greatest moment in all my political years. And, trust me, there’ve been many. It gives us a strong platform for the ultimate battle ahead in 2012.
We shall go into that battle confidently on the strong record of the Kufuor presidency – and, Sir, we are grateful to you for that; as well as on the new initiatives and perspectives we shall bring to bear in the course of our 2012 campaign.
The efficiency with which the party, under the leadership of our new national executives, organised this election under five months is a major assurance to all of us that we will, indeed, build an efficient and effective political machine to drive us on to Victory in 2012.
Today, the NPP -- the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition, the noblest tradition in Ghanaian politics -- has shown once more its bold commitment to enhancing democracy in our country. With this election, we have established a strong template for defining the modern contours of intra-party democracy in Africa.
This victory is far bigger than this little, simple man standing before you now. This is your victory; it’s a victory for our party; for multi-party democracy in Ghana and in Africa. This is a victory for a brighter, prosperous future, where the young men and women of our nation can lead dignified, purposeful and fulfilling lives.
Let me thank my four competitors, Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Isaac Osei, John Kodua, and Alan Kyerematen and their campaign teams and volunteers for keeping alive and well the competitive tradition of our party. The party and I are grateful to them for the grace and manner in which they have accepted the results. It is to their credit.
I want to thank members of my campaign team, especially Boakye Agyarko – my campaign manager, the young MPs –- Dominic Nitiwul, Isaac Asiamah, Kobby Okyere-Darko Mensah, Catherine Afeku -- my great contemporary, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Daniel Nii Kwatei Titus-Glover, Brian Acheampong, and the rest of the team who traveled with me throughout the length and breadth of our country and who conducted the most comprehensive party leadership campaign in Ghana’s history. My gratitude goes as well to my able representatives to the National Elections Committee, Messrs Victor Newman and Calus von Brazzi. I want to thank also all my regional and constituency coordinators, polling agents and grassroots volunteers across the country who worked so hard to help deliver this spectacular victory. I also want to say a special thanks to all the leading figures of the party and Members of Parliament, who encouraged and supported me in this campaign. May God bless you all.
I said at the very beginning, when I met the media in my house in Nima, that we have a good story to tell and that we would run a decent and efficient campaign. I am happy that I kept my word and we ran a clean, issues-based, upbeat campaign. We have shown that decency pays off if you have a good message to sell.
The NPP has spoken and the message has been loud and clear. I'm humbled, once again, by the trust and the confidence of my fellow party members. With that trust comes a duty to build a solid, oiled, and sincere united front, from the bottom up.
I am determined to lead an efficient campaign machinery for that crucial victory in 2012. But, the first steps towards that are to build unity. I will work out a programme with the national executives of the party, under the National Chairman, to foster unity across all sections of the party and to decide how best to use the party structures to prosecute the 2012 presidential campaign.
Yes, the overwhelming majority of the party has voted for me. The majority of the people have had their say but the whole family must lead the way to the victory we seek in 2012. We need each and everyone on board. And, I pledge to work with all my heart and soul to achieve this.
Today marks an important moment in the destiny of our great family, the New Patriotic Party. An opportunity has been presented to us for a clear future direction for our beloved Ghana.
The dream of the founders of our tradition to build a thriving democracy and a strong market economy in our country -- which will deliver prosperity for the broad masses of our people under the rule of law, respect for human rights and the principles of democratic accountability -- is still very much alive.
I am calling on all members and sympathisers of our party, and the great majority of Ghanaians to join us in making this dream a reality in our time.
Let us continue to believe in Ghana -- Africa’s Black Star.
God bless you,
God bless the NPP,
And, God bless Ghana.
Thank you
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
