Voter album doesn’t win elections – Adwoa Safo

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has told her campaign team to concentrate more on engaging delegates in the Constituency on her good works, instead of bemoaning the voter album, which has seen the names of many delegates aligned to her vision being removed from it.

The “voter album”, she noted, “doesn’t win elections”, urging her followers to further focus on her good message that seeks to uplift the people from the shackles of poverty by empowering them economically.

While the Lawmaker was in far away United States of America attending to family matters, the voter album for the election of polling station executives and electoral area coordinators were compiled.

However, hundreds of delegates, said to be aligned to the vision of Adwoa Safo, a former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection were removed from the album, with perceived followers of a particular candidate replacing them.

Many have since accused the constituency executives of working in favour of a particular candidate. The executives have since denied working in the interest of a particular candidate.

I can work with anybody

Adwoa Safo, who is not moved by such an act, told the over three hundred new delegates, when she met them on Friday, January 12, 2024 that she can work with anybody, since the ultimate goal is to campaign for the NPP to break the eight-year governance circle.

“I believe in the delegates that they are NPP members. I also believe that it is only through communication and how you present your case that the delegates will buy into your vision. I am not a believer in the voter album that that will win you elections.

No, voter album doesn’t win elections. So, chaos emanating from some delegates that their names have been removed from the voter album and replaced with new ones doesn’t move me. I can work with anybody and will work with anybody if you give me the nod once again to serve you”, she noted.

She told the party faithful that when she was contesting for the first and second times, the voter album wasn’t prepared by her, yet even though she lost the first contest she, however, bounced back to win the second time.

“The voter album that was used to conduct the national elections that brought Justin Frimpong Kodua to power as General Secretary of our beloved party wasn’t prepared by him, yet he won. So, it is all about your message and how good it is. We have achieved a lot together and so I will entreat all of you to go out there and preach about my good works”, she underscored.

I won’t abandon you

Commenting further, the former Minister of Procurement took time to address a propaganda that has been waged against her that when re-elected, she will abandon her people and go and stay abroad.

“When I was elected into office as your MP in 2012, I served you well. When I was re-elected in 2016, I served you well. In 2020 when you gave me the mandate again, I was more energised to serve you well once again.

“However, as human as we are, I encountered some challenges which many of you here, especially the women have gone through before. It was never my intention to leave you.

“But upon my return and reflection, I have to apologised for what I did because it takes a courageous person and someone with humility and respect to publicly apologise for his or her wrongdoing”, she stressed.

She added, “My apology shouldn’t be taken for granted. I will continue to apologise to you because I have reflected on what I did and concluded that I didn’t do well”.

Vote for continuity

Speaking on her chances ahead of the January 27 primaries, Adwoa Safo, who sounded very confident in her achievements ever since she became the MP of the constituency, told the delegates to vote for continuity since the 2024 general elections is very critical.

She said, ever since she became the MP, her votes have been appreciating, even more than the party’s presidential candidate, emphasising that she is a unifier and is loved by many electorates from opposition political parties.

“There is the need to vote for a candidate who has been tried and tested; a candidate who is sellable and a candidate who has the welfare of the people at heart. When I took over, our votes were 35,000 but I have been able to increase it to 78,000.

“My votes always appreciate even more than the presidential candidate for about 3.000. What this means is that even some voters from opposition political parties vote for me because of my good works. Should we change this candidate?” she quizzed, with the delegates answering ‘NO’ in a loud voice.