Zimi Kanintii, 28, has defeated his former junior high school (JHS) teacher in the Assembly elections for the Suke Electoral Area, under the Lambussie District of the Upper West Region.

Kanintii polled 486 votes to beat his former teacher, Balebe Bawaru Padmore, who polled 405 votes out of a total 891 valid votes cast. There were 31 rejected ballots.

He is the youngest aspirant to have won the District Level Elections in the Suke Electoral Area at the first attempt.

The usual long queues that characterised the elections were missing, mostly blamed on voter apathy.

Zimi Kanintii (aka Baba Kanintii), in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the contest between “a former teacher and a student” was tough.

“It was a tough contest. I want to thank all and sundry from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me through all the negativity of this campaign,” he said.

He said he was the number one on the ballot paper, which also contributed to his victory, saying: “The first had remained first.”

It was a worthy service to humanity and God and a prestige to represent the good people of the Suke Electoral Area, he added.

Kanintii said his finances were not as “strong as his contender’s,” but his people knew he was the best candidate to accelerate the development of the community, hence they voted for him.

“I don’t have money but the welfare of my people is my ultimate priority” he said, and pledged to work with political leaders, organisations, philanthropists, Non-governmental Organisations, corporate bodies and individuals to lobby for the development of his community.