Robert Ayinenaba Alibo
The New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary candidate for the Talensi Constituency, Robert Ayinenaba Alibo, has advised the party’s supporters to reflect the unity and peaceful nature of the party in their engagements to help retain power next year.
Mr. Alibo, who emerged victorious in the party’s recent primaries, said the NPP was noted to be united, peaceful and coherent in fighting for power, and all must work hard and together to preserve that record.
This, he said was critical if the party wanted to retain power in the December 2024 general elections. He was speaking to the media after his victory at the elections held in Tongo in the Upper East Region.
The development practitioner, Alibo polled 235 of the valid votes to beat his two contenders – the District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Talensi District Assembly, Thomas Duanab Wuni Pearson, and the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority – Williams Zoogah, who polled 196 and 82 votes respectively.
It was his third attempt at representing the party at the parliamentary level after losing in the 2015 by-elections and the 2020 general election primaries. He became the first person from Winkogo, which has the largest electorates in the constituency to represent the NPP and he will now face off with the NDC parliamentary candidate, Daniel Duun Mahama, for the seat that has largely been a safe bet for the opposition party.
He mentioned education and agriculture as the key areas he would target with ideas during the main campaign but said now was the time to unite the party.
Speaking on the way forward, Alibo who cut his teeth in development work through key roles in many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the Upper East Region, said NPP supporters in Talensi and nationwide needed to unite behind the party for a cohesive campaign.
In the Talensi Constituency, he said he and the two other candidates were decorous during their campaign by resorting only to ideas and appealing to delegates to select the best person who can snatch the seat from the opposition National Democratic Congress.He said that attitude, which was inspired by the NPP’s nature, worked and thus advised the supporters to do same.
“The elections are over, and I and my two brothers are still the brothers we were before the elections. We did not insult each other; we campaigned on ideas and even after the election, we are stronger together. That is what the supporters must reflect,” he said.
He reminded the supporters that every action had consequences and that those who mirrored the party’s values in their actions would be rewarded when the time came.
Mr. Alibo expressed the hope that the contest for the seat, which is traditionally an NDC seat, would be fair, where ideas and proposed programmes would be the bases for voting.
He said given his background as a development agent who had toured the entire constituency and region working with NGOs, he was better placed to advocate for the needs of the people than any other person.
“Beyond me serving very well in my party, I have also worked in the Talensi District for several years with many NGOs, and I have always tried to go down to the community levels,” he said.
Mr. Alibo said he was clear in his mind what was needed to ward off poverty, uplift and empower the people, and open up the area to more investment.