NDC to contest Assin North By-Election with Gyakye Quayson as parliamentary candidate

The National Democratic Congress has asserted the party's readiness for Assin North by-Eeection.

In a recent interview on the Eyewitness News program hosted by Umaru Sanda Amadu on Citi FM, Mustapha Gbande, the party's Deputy National Secretary reaffirmed the party's determination to participate in the upcoming Assin North by-election.

Gbande vehemently dismissed allegations suggesting that James Gyakye Quayson had been replaced as the NDC's parliamentary candidate for the constituency. He emphasized that the party intends to field Quayson once again, highlighting his credibility and popularity among the constituents.

Mr Gbande criticised the government's alleged attempts to deprive the people of Assin North of their rightful representation in Parliament through judicial maneuvers.

He pledged that the NDC would closely monitor the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for any signs of vote-buying and would promptly report incidents to the police and urge them to take appropriate action.

“The party has a plan, but what we are sharing with the public is that the NDC is ready for the by-election. We know that the government is coming to challenge us, and we are already on the ground, and so our preparations are underway. The NDC is prepared for the Assin North by-election. We have said that the government has denied the people of Assin North representation in Parliament by using the judiciary. As we speak, the Supreme Court has not been able to deliver a written judgment to the parties involved, which is in itself a travesty of the process.

“What this means to us is that we need to consolidate our gains on the ground and reinforce what we already know. We have stated that we are re-presenting the candidate that we know, James Gyakye Quayson, who is credible and loved by his constituents. That decision has not changed. It is propaganda coming from the NPP to attack the integrity of our candidate that we are ditching him. The party has not said so. He is eligible to contest an election, and he is innocent until a court finds him guilty. Why is the NPP worried more than us?” Mr Gbande quizzed.

The Assin North Parliamentary seat was declared vacant by Parliament on May 30, following a Supreme Court ruling on the eligibility of James Gyakye Quayson to represent the people of Assin North.

In a unanimous decision on May 17, the Supreme Court had ordered Ghana's Parliament to remove Quayson's name from its records as the Member of Parliament for the Assin North constituency.