Mr Ransford Antwi, an independent candidate for the Sunyani East Constit­uency, has pledged to challenge the longstanding dominance of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the forthcoming general elections. The NPP has held this constitu­ency since 1996; however, Mr Ant­wi said he remained undeterred by the ruling party's stronghold, citing their failure to meet the develop­mental needs of the local populace as the reason for his optimism. He indicated that lack of devel­opment of the area, had motivated several influential figures within the constituency and abroad to encourage his candidacy, aiming to provide the community with renewed hope and a commitment to progress. As a businessman and philan­thropist based in Sunyani, Mr Antwi believed that his established reputation for honesty and integ­rity had garnered him significant support from the electorate. He expressed confidence in win­ning their support in December, bolstered by a recent survey from Infoanalytic, which identified him as the favoured candidate among constituents.