A rare political upset in one of the strongholds of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is looming, as an independent candidate seeks to snatch the Afigya Kwabre South parliamentary seat for the first time since the constituency was created.
Mr. Daniel Ofori, is confident of pulling a surprise in the upcoming polls, having done extensive consultations to gauge his chances of winning before taking the bold decision to embark on the ambitious journey.
“I am confident of winning the seat with the backing of the youth, who have come to the realisation that the NPP has nothing to offer them after years of being loyal to the party,” Mr. Ofori told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, with so much confidence.
He said he was leveraging on the unwavering support of the teeming youth who shared in his vision of tackling unemployment among young people in the constituency to win the seat.
According to him, many years of holding on to the seat by the NPP has brought next to nothing to the people in terms of development with the road network deteriorating beyond repair.
He could not fathom why a constituency known for having one of the biggest quarries in the country would still be struggling to fix its roads, blaming the situation on lack of pragmatic leadership in managing resources.
He believed the constituency has the potential to boost the local economy by harnessing resources at its disposal to improve livelihoods.
This, he said, required a visionary leader determined to seek for the welfare of the entire residents of the constituency without prioritizing party interest at the expense of the people who gave their mandate to lead.
“We can’t continue on the path of retrogression when we have a choice that can lead us to prosperity and growth as a people,” he noted.
He said his development strategy would hinge on creating employment opportunities for the youth to drive sustainable development in the constituency.
Equipping the youth with employable skills as well as harnessing their potentials to enhance the local economy is the way to go to improve livelihoods, he pointed out.
Such strategy, according to him, would impact every household and ensure equitable distribution of resources hence no one would be left behind.
Mr. Ofori said his engagement with the electorate had given him a clear indication that the youth had bought into his vision and pledged his commitment to serve their interest when given the nod to represent them.
“I want to change the status quo in terms of leadership by championing people-centred leadership which focuses on human development and community-owned projects to ensure holistic development of my beloved constituency,” he stated.