The Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency seat in the Greater Accra Region is being contested by Ghanaian actor John Dumelo on the ticket of the New Democratic Party.
The political terrain had him change his costume into a hardworking farmer whose undying passion is to impact the lives of ordinary people at the grass-root level. He employed philanthropy and statesmanship to bolster his way into the hearts of the people to see the fruition of his political ambition.
Contending for the seat of The Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency is ‘a woman with deep wells’.
Hon Lydia Seyram Alhassan who is bent on crushing dumelo’s dream on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party
John Dumelo raised the bar predicting that he would snatch the seat from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) with a 54% vote slide.
J.D wants to create a shift in the seat of power which the NPP has held on to with clenched fist and buckled knees since election 2000. He said that over the years his party has been closing in on the seat of power.
“I disagree with people saying that it [Ayawaso West Wuogon] is traditionally NPP. We won in 1992 and 1996 but we have come close to winning it, especially in 2012. In 2004 and 2008 we came close to winning it.”
“This is not like some Bantama seat, or a Mampong or an Ejisu seat that we know to be traditionally NPP. The Ayawaso West Wuogon is a seat we are going to win. I am not going to win it, it is the NDC that is going to win it,” he said.
Lydia Seyram Alhassan won the 2019 Ayawaso West by-election with 68.80 per cent of the valid votes cast while the other candidates, Kwasi Delali Brempong of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) polled 30.52 per cent, William Kofi Dowokpor of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and Clement Boadi of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) polled 0.58 and 0.10 per cent respectively.
It assumes JD is not having sleepless nights over the numbers re-enacting in his constituency in 2020 when asked to predict the percentage margin.
Mr. Dumelo emphatically stated, “I’ll Win With 54% Votes.”
He punched holes in the leadership of the constituency and was of the view that servitude is shown during elections by political contenders but he has the interest of the constituency at heart.
On how he has managed to fund his campaign
Mr. Dumelo explained that his campaign has been supported by friends and sympathizers who have shared in his vision.
“I don’t share money, I share essentials people need. I use the money to buy things for them. My source of money is from benevolent people who tell me, John, take 1 cedi, take cedi 2, and use it to support my campaign.”
He disclosed his strategy was to cater to the “essential needs of people” in his constituency through the benevolence of some friends. He would not condescend to share money to influence voters as was the norm.
“These are friends, it’s not about being rich, it’s about being content with what you have and sharing the little that you have.”
“If I am called [by a friend] to take 500 cedis to support my campaign, I will gladly take it,” the actor said.
