Hot Race For Sagnarigu seat

When contacted, both of them were sure of their chances, saying the people had already endorsed them.

Sheikh Abdul Kareem described himself as a true son of Sagnarigu.

“I was born in Sagnarigu in 1957 and we were the pioneers of the Anglican Primary School that you see in Sagnarigu. I, therefore, know the problems of the area more than somebody who has only been brought here and imposed on the people simply because his party is in power,” he stated.

He said Alhaji A B A Fuseini hailed from Tishegu which is located in the Tamale Central Constituency and wondered why someone who had no relationship with the Sagnarigu community could be brought to contest its parliamentary seat.

Sheikh Abdul Kareem said he had also supported communities within the constituency with a number of development facilities during his over 30 years practice as a development worker.

“I was the one who wrote proposals for funds for the construction of the Sagnarigu Clinic,” he added.

He said as the Director of Gub Katimali Society, a Non Governmental Organisation that he managed before entering politics, he provided dug out wells for many communities whose members were without water.

He said he also provided an afforestation project and bullocks for the Sagnarigu community in addition to the provision of many micro finance schemes for women and the vulnerable in many areas in the Northern Region.

“With all these development for the people of Sagnarigu initiated by me, how can somebody whose only connection with Sagnarigu is some three rooms that he has built for his mother just pop up from no where and claim to be fighting for them,” he questioned.

He accused Alhaji A B A of arousing chieftaincy sentiments as he had no message for the people.

In a sharp rebuttal, Alhaji A B A Fuseini accused Sheikh Abdul- Kareem of lying about his development projects and relationship with Sagnarigu.

He said Sheikh Abdul-Kareem claimed to have been born in almost every community that he visited, asking “so in which of them was he actually born?”

“He said he was born in more than five communities and how can one person be born in Sagnarigu and more than five others? he asked.

He said the NPP had no message for Ghanaians and the people of the north; hence, their resort to the use of the ethnic and religious cards.

“The NPP tried to use the ethnic card by asking the people of the north to vote for them because Dr Bawumia is a northerner and when that backfired, they resorted to the religious card, saying they were the only party with a vice presidential candidate who is a muslim,” he stated.

Alhaji A B A Fuseini predicted a more than 70 per cent victory in both the presidential and parliamentary results for the NDC in the constituency.

Story by Marcelinus Dery