Asutifi-South NPP Zongo communities rally behind Ali Suraj

Leaders in some Zongo communities in the Asutifi-South Constituency have declared their unflinching support for one Ali Suraj, a staunch activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who is seeking to contest the upcoming parliamentary primaries of the Party.

“In Suraj, we think the NPP has somebody who has the requisite Party history and experience, as well as the leadership qualities and grassroots support to upstage the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the parliamentary seat in the 2020 elections,” Alhaji Osman Tahiru, a member of the Acherensua NPP Council of Elders, declared.

“The ground is fertile for a possible victory by the NPP if we are able to put our house in order,” he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region.

This was after supporters of Suraj, led by one Mr Richard Oduro, a leading member of the Asutifi South NPP, picked a nomination form on behalf of the aspirant at a ceremony at Hwidiem.

The event was witnessed by teeming NPP supporters from the Zongo communities as they sang and paraded the picture of Suraj in a procession in solidarity with his candidacy.

Asutifi-South is one of the orphan constituencies where the NPP would be holding parliamentary primaries to choose a candidate for the 2020 general election.

The largest opposition party, the NDC, won the seat in the 2012 elections with 54.8 per cent of the total ballots cast, with NPP galvanizing 44.5 per cent.

In the 2016 elections, the NDC won the seat claiming 56.6 per cent of the total ballot cast, while NPP had 42.99, per cent.

Ali Suraj, 40, is former a NPP Deputy Organizer for New York, USA, branch of the Party. He is credited with building a vibrant support base for the Party amongst NPP activists in New York.

He has also been instrumental in supporting NPP Zongo communities, assisting them with the needed resources to thrive.

Mr Oduro, on the sidelines of the programme, told the GNA that they had assessed the qualities of the aspirant and that, the supporters had decided to rally behind him.

“We intend to give the incumbent Asutifi-South Member of Parliament (MP), Alhaji Collins Dauda, a good run for his money in the elections,” he stated.

Mr Adamu Abudu, Chief of the Zamrama community at Acherensua, and an NPP faithful, welcomed the decision by the aspirant to contest in the parliamentary primaries.

The Zongo communities, he said, were fully supporting him.