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Ayariga woos Kumasi voters

Hassan Ayariga being mobbed at Adum in KumasiSounds of people coughing and shouts of Ayarigate, Ayaricough and Ayariga cough greeted the campaign tour of the flag bearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC) Hassan Ayariga to Kumasi.

This was after Mr Ayariga extended his tour to the Ashanti Region to woo voters ahead of the December 7 elections.

The PNC flag bearer took the opportunity to tour the city after signing the peace agreement with the seven other presidential candidates last Tuesday.

Mr Ayariga got a warm reception from the people in the city who were so excited about seeing the PNC flag bearer physically, after his appearances at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Presidential Debates in Tamale and Accra.

They scrambled for and demanded his T-shirts as Mr Ayariga’s convoy drove through the city. The traffic congestion in the city got worse as the PNC flag bearer’s vehicles drove through town.
Places visited included Adum, Kejetia, Cultural Centre, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital area, Bantama, Ash Town, Suame, Krofoam, Dr Mensah, Alaba, Asawasi and Tafo.

As the convoy drove through these places, by-standers, residents and traders stood along the streets, in front of their houses and abandoned their wares to catch a glimpse of Mr Ayariga, who has become famous for his coughing at the last presidential debate organised by the IEA at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra.

As the people mimicked Mr Ayariga coughing and shouts of Ayaricough and Ayarigate, the PNC flag bearer smiled back at them as he waved, shook hands and distribute his T-shirts.
At some points young men hung on the bucket of  the pick-up of Mr Ayariga to grab the T-shits  that were being thrown at people.

At some point the struggle for the T-shirts became physical.
“Where is Ayariga, I want to see him,” Gloria Duah, a hairdresser apprentice who nearly fell as she rushed out of her work place to the PNC flag bearer.
“Ayarigaooo, Ayariga, the next president,” Opanin Mensah, a spare parts dealer at the Kwasi Oppong area said.

Asked why they were anxious to see Mr Ayariga, some residents and traders said though they had seen the PNC flag bearer on television, they wanted to see him physically because he was the most exciting of the other presidential candidates.

They said his antics and comments at the IEA events in Tamale and Accra had made him well known and so their desire to see him.

Auntie Slyvia Mensah-Bonsu, a ladies shoes seller, said where Mr Ayariga went he made people laugh and so that was why she was following him.

“At least the appearance of Ayariga on the political landscape has eased the political tension,” Stephen Badu, who did not want to mention his place of work said.

Addressing the people later at Alaba and Tafo Zongo, Mr Ayariga said the time had come for the people to vote for the PNC since it was the party that could change their destiny.

He said he was one of their own, and that they should vote for him since he knew their problems, adding that if they denied him they denied themselves the opportunity to improve their lives.

He reminded that he was number six on the ballot paper and should not make the mistake of voting for anyone else.

At the Zongo, he asked the people to vote for the PNC parliamentary candidate for Tafo-Pankrono, Farouk Mohammed Tanko, since he had them at heart.

Both Mr Ayariga and Mr Tanko later walked through the community to exchange pleasantries with them.


Story & Picture by Emmanuel Bonney


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