Barbara Asher Ayisi, a former Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North Constituency in the Central region, has shared her experience of electoral defeat.
During a panel discussion on Onua TV on May 24, 2023, Barbara openly shared her deep disappointment with individuals she had placed trust in, who gradually distanced themselves from her following the election.
She expressed her dismay over the fact that some individuals went to the extent of spreading false information and rumors about her.
“My challenges started when I lost the election, especially in the constituency. Those that I thought were my loved ones…I went into politics with a genuine heart and not that typical politician because I knew I had the passion to make Cape Coast better; that is it, I came raw like that, and I thought that getting the mandate as a Member of Parliament would make me bring changes to Cape Coast. So, when I lost, then I was like, this thing is not easy… so those that especially I used to walk with, most of them left, and others began to tarnish your name.”
“So, when I lost the election, the way I dressed, you might think that everything was all right, but I knew what was going on inside me, so the feeling is not pleasant, but I have learned lessons,” she stated.
Barbara, who was defeated by the NDC’s Dr. Kwamena Minta Nyarku in the 2020 Parliamentary elections expressed how this setback taught her invaluable life lessons and shed light on the obstacles she encountered in the aftermath of her loss.
Having dedicated herself to serving as a women’s organizer and deputy constituency secretary for Cape Coast North, Barbara embarked on her political journey with a resolute objective to uplift her constituency, drawing upon her deep-rooted connection to Cape Coast and diverse engagement in various endeavors.
Barbara went on to reveal that, until that point[2020 elections], she had never encountered electoral defeat throughout her extensive political career.
Reflecting on her journey, she remarked, that in her political life spanning over 20 years, she has been fortunate to assume the roles of women’s organizer and deputy constituency secretary for Cape Coast North and has never lost an election before.
“For me, I haven’t lost an election before; I mean, for over 20 years, I became a women’s organizer and deputy constituency secretary for Cape Coast, and by God’s grace, I got the opportunity to go to the assembly as well,” she stated.
“I was also doing fashion and at the same time teaching at Wesley Girls… so I have spent most of my life in Cape Coast; the truth of the matter is that I haven’t lost in any election, so I believe this loss has helped me seriously, in fact, it has changed my whole perspective about life because I thought when you are in your hard times, that is when you get loved ones to console you,” she said.
