A veteran New Patriotic Party (NPP) grassroots mobiliser, Madam Margaret Akagwire, has declared her intention to contest the NPP Regional Women’s Organiser position for the Upper East Region. She says her experience, maturity, and ability to unite party members will equip her to deliver stronger grassroots mobilisation and support women to win parliamentary seats.
In an exclusive interview with Word News, Ms Akagwire stated that her political journey began at the polling-station level in Natugnia Primary A in early 1992, when she was appointed Chairlady at a young age.
She explained that six months later, she moved to Navrongo Central Constituency, where she won election as Constituency Women’s Organiser. She served two consecutive terms, after which her deputy succeeded her.
Ms Akagwire said she was later recalled to serve again as Acting Constituency Women’s Organiser following the death of her deputy’s husband, Hon. Achugawe, who was also on party duty at the time of his passing.
She said this brought her total service in Navrongo Central to three terms.“I have been at the grassroots long enough to understand the pain points of our women and the youth. I have done the work in the rain, in the sun, and in difficult times,” she said. Ms Akagwire noted that she previously contested for the regional Women’s Organiser slot but was unsuccessful.
However, she says she is returning for the internal election “with full vim,” aiming to drive a unity and mobilisation agenda across the region.In outlining her priorities, Akagwire said her campaign will focus on three pillars ,Reconciliation, Youth mobilisation, and Targeted support for female parliamentary candidates.
She pledged to reach out to all aggrieved party members and elderly party supporters across the region to bring them back into the party fold ahead of the 2028 general elections“My first task will be to organise all party members who are aggrieved and the aged to come back to the party and promote unity among our members. With my maturity level and age, when we speak as matured people, they will not hesitate to come back. We cannot win 2028 if we are divided,” she said.
Mobilisation and support for women candidates
She also promised to lead a vigorous mobilisation drive among women and young people in all 15 constituencies in the Upper East Region to expand the NPP’s base.A central plank of her campaign is financial and logistical support for women who emerge as NPP parliamentary candidates.“If I win, any woman who becomes a parliamentary candidate under the ticket of the NPP will receive resources from the regional level up to the national level for her campaign. I will also be in that constituency both physically and virtually so I can mobilise women and youth for victory,” Akagwire said. She added that she believes a candidate endorsed overwhelmingly by women and young people in her area will be difficult to defeat.
Ms Akagwire further said she would lobby national party leadership to consider the poverty levels in the region and push for more resources for female aspirants from constituency, regional, and national levels.“I will go to the national level and appeal for them to understand the poverty level in the region and allocate enough resources for those female candidates to win in the Upper East Region,” she said.
Ms Akagwire emphasised that age and maturity are key advantages, saying her years of service set her apart from other contenders.“Amongst the contestants, I am the elderly and matured, and that gives me the leverage over my contenders. Maturity brings wisdom, and wisdom brings results,” she said.
The NPP is expected to hold regional executive elections in the months of August as part of preparations for the 2028 elections. The Women’s Organiser position, she said, is critical to the party’s grassroots strategy particularly in mobilising female voters and supporting candidates at constituency level.
Ms Akagwire called on all delegates in the Upper East Region to critically examine all aspirants before entrusting them with party leadership roles.She stated that her record in Navrongo Central is “unmeasurable,” and reiterated that her pledge of unity and resources will be enough to secure her the regional role on her second attempt
Source:mywordfmonline.com/Akoose Daniel