I know I’ll win Sunyani polls – Mills

President John Evans Atta Mills has stated emphatically that he will emerge the winner at the NDC’s primaries in Sunyani.

He has however wished his (so far) sole opponent, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings well, promising to wage a clean campaign.

“I would like to use this occasion to wish Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings well. I would like her to know that like the true sportsman that I am, we will give her a clean fight but at the end of the day, both of us will win” President Mills noted.

President Mills said these when he addressed NDC members and supporters on Thursday May 5, as he picked nomination forms at the party’s headquarters at Kokomlemle, to contest the party’s presidential primaries from July 8-10. The president’s security detail had a hectic time controlling the huge crowd which had gathered to watch the president come personally to pick up the forms.

In seeming response to invectives and harsh language hurled his way by speakers at the campaign launch of Nana Konadu’s campaign yesterday, President Mills pointed out that the upcoming contest was to choose a leader for members of the same party, and therefore should be conducted in a decorous manner.

“Many of us have worked tirelessly to make NDC what it is. Many are those who have sacrificed in order to ensure the sustenance of our party. And my appeal is that we should ensure that this campaign is carried out in a clean manner devoid of insults. The campaign is not about who can hurl insults at the fastest rate or who can engage in vitriolic attacks. Please let us know that at the end of the day, we have to come together to prosecute our better Ghana agenda and that whoever wins would have to build on the foundation that we are laying now. So I am appealing to each and every one of you, let us bear this in mind.

“I would like to assure you however that I know that I am going to win,” he declared.

He reminded the party that this was just an internal contest; the greater battle lay ahead.

“But let me say that winning is not the end of the road. What we are in politics for is to help raise the living standards of our people. Anyone who seeks power must use the power to serve the needs of our people. One must not seek power because of one’s ego. The one only reason should be to help our people. I know God is on our side and we will succeed.

“The Ghanaian electorate is very discerning and they know what they want. Let’s try and give them what they want because they have reposed confidence in us. And I know that with the foundation that we are laying, we will be able to build the superstructure and at the end of the day, Ghanaians will appreciate the hard work and the sacrifices we have been able to do. We will not disappoint them,” he promised.

President Mills received his nomination papers from the party’s General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, after paying the required Gh¢500 for the nomination papers and a filing fee of Gh¢200,000. The President has up to May 10 2011, to return his papers.

Unlike Mrs. Rawlings who was accompanied to the party headquarters by just two high profile members of the party – Mr. Kofi Adams, Spokesperson for the Rawlingses and MP for Lower Manya Krobo, Micheal Teye Nyaunu – Professor Mills was accompanied by some of his ministers and key members of the NDC.

They included Hon. E.T Mensah, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu, Minister of Education, Central Regional Minister, Ama Benyiwa Doe, founder of the defunct National Reform Party (NRP) Goosie Tanoh, and Deputy Western Regional Minister, Miss Emelia Arthur.

Others were Accra Mayor, Alfred Vanderpuije, Deputy Water Resources Minister, Dr. Hannah Bissiw, Environment and Science Minister Sherry Ayittey, former Presidential aspirant Eddie Annan, Mrs. Cecilia Johnson, one-time senior member of Nana Konadu’s 31st December Women’s Movement, former NDC General Secretary Bede Zieden, and a host of others.

The President is set to launch his campaign at his Osu Kuku Hill office.

Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings picked up nomination forms on Tuesday May 3 and launched her campaign at the International Conference Centre on May 4, 2011.

Source: Citifmonline.com