The governing New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) parliamentary candidate for Bolgatanga Central Constituency in the just ended election Elvis Atia Awonekai says the choice of voters at the recent polls was not strictly based on candidates’ track records in fronting for development and addressing the needs of constituents.
If it were based on track records, Elvis Awonekai popularly known as Figo said he should have been elected Member of Parliament for the area.
“Sometimes, it’s just not development. If I were to go by development, I think I deserve to have been elected,” he stated.
According to Figo, he has, on his, provided amenities for several communities and assisted many people especially youngsters to secure employment opportunities.
He gave an instance where he had to fly to Accra a young man from the area, who was without a source of livelihood, knelt down before the powers that be and begged for a “lucrative job” for this man.
Despite the fact that the opportunity he helped the said man secured has transformed his (the man’s) life significantly, Figo stated that, he met the man on the election eve campaigning against him for the National Democratic Congress’ candidate Isaac Adongo.
“There is this gentleman (that) I facilitated in getting him a very lucrative job. In fact, there was no opportunity. I had to take him on a flight in and out of Accra. I knelt down to beg authorities to get him the job,” he said.
“I can tell you, his job is so lucrative that within the shortest possible time, the transformation in his life was glaring to everyone to see. But what happened? On the eve of the election, while I was going around to psyche people up, I saw him campaigning, saying ‘Figo is a good man, Figo has helped me. But this is about John Mahama.”
“So, if it is about development, the gap would have been wider (in favour of NPP),” he argued.
While the NPP candidate acknowledged that it is within the right of the man in question to choose whoever he wants to support in an election regardless of the assistance he personally extended to him, he expressed worry about his defeat in polling stations in his home community.
Figo noted that he has dedicated the greater part of his more than 4-decade existence on earth to serving his community and has helped at least one person from almost every clan of the Tanzui community.
He is, therefore, shocked that people of the community which he has served diligently would reject his bid to represent them in Parliament.
Ahead of the election on December 7, 2024, Figo was confident of ousting Isaac Adongo, who is currently the MP for Bolgatanga Central Constituency.
But that was not to be as he polled 15,470 votes to trail his main contender Isaac Adongo, who garnered 35,101 of the total valid votes cast.
Speaking in an interview on State of Our Nation on Dreamz FM, Figo said the cause of his defeat is multifaceted.
He, though, mentioned voter apathy as a major contributory factor.
