Mr Divine Otoo Agorhom, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has expressed optimism about the party’s chances of winning the Ayawaso East Parliamentary seat, despite the constituency’s long-standing voting pattern.
Mr Agorhom said the party had selected Mr Baba Ali as its parliamentary candidate after careful consultations, guided by the candidate’s experience, humility, and capacity to mobilise support within a limited timeframe.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he explained that the party deliberately opted for a candidate who was well-grounded in its internal structures and capable of working harmoniously with party members at all levels, to galvanise grassroots support.
He said following extensive deliberations, the party leadership was convinced that Mr Ali best met the requirements needed to mount a strong campaign ahead of the by-election.
He noted that the candidate had served as constituency secretary on two occasions and enjoys the full backing of the local party leadership, which he described as critical to the party’s electoral strategy.
Mr Agorhom also disclosed that the party’s 2024 parliamentary candidate, Mr Zak Rahman, had raised no objections to the selection process and was fully supporting efforts to mobilise for Mr Ali.
He explained that the party’s constitution allows for either the selection of candidates or the conduct of primaries under specific circumstances, stressing that the decision to select a candidate did not breach any party rules.
“In every election, you either win or lose. As a party, we are entering this contest with optimism to win, but we will accept any lawful and undisputed outcome,” he said.
Mr Agorhom added that the upcoming presidential primaries made it impractical to organise a constituency primary within the available time frame, necessitating the use of the selection process as provided for under the party’s constitution.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for March 03, 2026, following the demise of Mr Mahama Nasir Toure, who was the MP.