VIDEO: 'The elephant is finally dead' - Dome Kwabenya MP-elect Faustina Elikplim Akurugu

Madam Faustina Elikplim Akurugu, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, has been declared the Member of Parliament-Elect for Dome Kwabenya in a landmark victory that ends the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) longstanding hold on the constituency.  

In her victory speech, Akurugu celebrated the moment with a bold metaphor that captured the significance of her win: “The elephant is a big animal, and when you kill it, before it finally dies, it has to take time and struggle. Today, the elephant is finally dead.” 

The statement was in reference to the NPP’s elephant symbol as she attributed her win to “hard work, dedication, and prayers.”  

Dome Kwabenya, a stronghold of the NPP for decades, had never been won by the NDC. Madam Akurugu’s victory by a narrow margin of 298 votes signals a major political shift in the constituency. She described the moment as an affirmation of the will of the people. “The voice of the people has finally spoken, and to God be the glory,” she declared.  

Her win came after a contentious collation process that saw delays due to missing pink sheets and interruptions at the collation centre on election night. The Electoral Commission (EC) resolved the outstanding issues after extensive investigations, verifying tallies from party agents and the presiding officer.  

The final results confirmed Akurugu with 50,967 votes against the NPP’s Michael Aaron Oquaye Jnr., who polled 50,669 votes. The EC assured the public that the outcome reflected "the will of the people as expressed at the polls."  

Looking ahead  

As the first NDC MP for Dome Kwabenya, Madam Akurugu pledged to work tirelessly to justify the trust placed in her by constituents. “Dome Kwabenya has always been for the NPP. This is the first time the NDC has taken the seat, and it’s hard work that will make the people maintain me for long,” she said.  

She promised to make Dome Kwabenya “a place that everybody will love to come,” adding that her work begins immediately to ensure the constituency sees transformative development under her leadership.

Watch the video below;

The elephant is a big animal so killing it requires time but today it has finally died - Elikplim Akrugu on being declared the MP-Elect of Dome Kwabenya #MetroNews pic.twitter.com/dZtaoPlvLz

— Metro TV Ghana (@metrotvgh) December 31, 2024