By Godfred A. Polkuu
Sandema (U/E), Aug. 14, GNA – Mr Thomas Kofi Alonsi, an unopposed Parliamentary aspirant for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Builsa North Constituency of the Upper East Region, has expressed gratitude to members of the Party for allowing him to solely file nomination to contest in the Party’s upcoming Parliamentary primaries.
That, he noted was an act of maturity exhibited by the rank and file of the Party in the Constituency that would not be in vein.
“Your act of kindness, generosity and political maturity will not be in vein. I promise to work hard to justify your confidence in me.
“It is not often that in politics, people are willing to shelve their personal interests in favour of another’s,” he added.
Mr Alonsi said this in a “Thank you” message to members of the NPP in the Constituency when he emerged the sole aspirant to represent the Party as its Parliamentary Candidate in the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
He said though there were equally qualified and competent Party members in the Constituency who could have contested him, they decided to shelve their interest and allowed him to contest unopposed.
“Through this singular act, you have proven that what binds us is greater and stronger than our individual political ambitions, and for that, I am eternally grateful,” the unopposed aspirant, who is the Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, said.
Mr Alonsi called for forgiveness, saying “If in the course of the campaigns or preparation towards this primary, I or any member of my close team, whether through inadvertence, or mistake, did or said anything that offended anyone, please note that it was neither deliberate nor intended to injure anyone.
“It is not a mere coincidence that the symbol of our great Party is the elephant. We have large hearts enough to accommodate our differences and manage our disagreements,” he said.
Mr Alonsi, also a former Chief Executive for the then Builsa North District, urged members of his Party to continue to overlook each other’s failings and strive to build a formidable team to capture the seat from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“It will not be easy, but it is possible. It is possible together for us to once again rise to the occasion and win the seat to enable us collectively bring development to our people in the Constituency,” the Aspirant, a Lawyer by profession, said.
Traditionally, the Builsa North Constituency had over the years voted in favour of the opposition NDC.
The NDC won the seat in 1992, 1996, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 except for 2004 when Mrs Agnes Asangalisa Chigabatia made political history when she won the seat for the NPP with 6,160 votes, representing 33.70 percent.
She beat her close contender, Mr Timothy Ataboadey Awontiirim of the NDC who polled 6,147 votes, representing 33.60 percent.
The NDC took back the seat in the 2008 Parliamentary elections.
Mr James Agalga, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, won the seat in the 2016 election with 13,886 votes, representing 61.21 percent while Mr Alonsi who contested in that election, polled 8,652 votes representing 38.14 percent.
The incumbent MP in the 2020 elections polled 13,826 representing 56.60 percent to beat Mr James Maurice Abakasi of the NPP who got 9,031 representing 36.97 percent.
GNA