National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegates in the Ablekuma South constituency gave their incumbent chairman, Geoffrey Atakli Banini, a shock when they voted against him in the recently held constituency elections.
With a new favourite for the slot, the delegates gave their votes to Wisdom Nii Amoo Dodoo, a man believed to be a favourite of the Member of Parliament for the area, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije.
After hours of waiting, due to several recounts of some of the results, the Electoral Commission representative pronounced Wisdom Dodoo the winner with a vote tally of 983, as against Banini’s 635.
Speaking to GhanaWeb right after the declaration, the newly-elected chairman said he would use his unifying personality to foster unity in the party.
He also called on all persons who had lost their various bids for election to focus on helping the NDC wrestle power in 2024.
“I’ll say better luck next time, but just so you know, I am a unifier and so I will bring all of them on board so we work towards 2024,” he stated.
On how he feels about his victory, Wisdom Dodoo said it is a great feeling, and he hopes to capitalise on it to help the NDC win the national election of 2024.
He added that the NDC intends to save Ghanaians from the poor governance of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) with a target of 25,000 more votes.
“I feel great about this victory, and I thank everyone. You know that the NPP has not been performing so we will work towards 2024 to ensure victory in Ablekuma South and the whole of Ghana.
“We are targeting about 25,000 more votes than the ones we had the last time,” he stated.
Speaking to GhanaWeb, the Ablekuma South MP, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, explained that what happened in the elections in his constituency is a confirmation of the mandate of the people.
“In the 2020 elections, the people of Ablekuma South spoke eloquently, giving Okoe Vanderpuije 61% victory. And so, when the people speak, and you’re a member of the executive and you don’t listen, they will show you the exit. That is simple and short.
“So, we have members of the executive who, of late, have not been working with the MP. So, the delegates and the people of the grassroots made a decision, and the decision is that they love their MP, and they want their MP to continue to work for them, and they want a team that will work with the MP.
“This election is not only a foretaste, but a mandate that will go out for anybody who wants to stand in the way of the NDC; we are ready,” he stated.
Source: Ghana Web