Lydia Seyram Alhassan
President Akufo-Addo has vehemently condemned the violence that characterised Thursday’s by-election in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency.
The attacks by unidentified individuals and group of persons led to the hospitalisation of not less than six people who sustained various degrees of injury.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) subsequently announced a withdrawal of its parliamentary candidate, Delali Kwesi Brempong, but the party’s agents stayed put.
An obviously disappointed President Akufo-Addo, in a statement to congratulate the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, who won the elections, indicated: “The isolated incident of violence, which occurred in the early stages of the election, was unfortunate and regrettable, and I condemn it in no uncertain terms.”
A by-election, he said “should be a peaceful and happy event, no matter how competitive. The police are committed to conducting a rapid inquiry into the matter, and I expect all persons who are found culpable, at the end of the process, to face the full rigours of the law.”
The President, however, defended his party’s democratic credentials, insisting that “the New Patriotic Party, the party from which my government was born, would never dream of competing with any other political party in unleashing violence on the Ghanaian people.”
Instead, he emphasised that “our policy, as espoused by the founding father of our political tradition, is to liberate the energies of the people for the growth of a property-owning democracy in this land, with right to life, freedom and justice as the principles to which the government and laws of the land should be dedicated in order specifically to enrich life, property and liberty of each and every citizen and that is what my government is doing.”
He, therefore, sent a message of congratulation to Lydia Seyram Alhassan on her emphatic victory in Thursday’s by-election in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, saying “the electorate in the constituency has made an excellent choice.”
He expressed confidence in her ability to serve the interest of her constituents in Parliament with distinction.
The President also commended the Electoral Commission for the professionalism it displayed in conducting a free, fair, transparent and credible election, despite the isolated challenge it faced.
He said: “The Ghanaian people have, again, demonstrated to the world their deep attachment to the principles of democratic accountability and the rule of law. Ghana’s democracy is robust, and will only grow from strength to strength.
In a related development, Thomas Fosu Jnr; reports from Parliament House in Accra that Lydia Seyram Alhassan will be sworn into office on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, in Parliament by the Speaker of Parliament amidst concerns by the Minority that her election was characterised by violence.
The Minority, led by its leader Haruna Iddrisu, clashed with the Speaker over the matter of violence associated with the just-ended by-election, which the Minority has blamed it on the police administration and the NPP government.
The Minority leader had wanted to raise the issue on the floor yesterday on the back of Standing Order 72 which states that “by the indulgence of the House and leave of Mr Speaker a member may at the time appointed for statements under Order 53 explain a matter of urgent public importance. Any statement other than a personal statement may be commended upon by other members for a limited duration of time not exceeding one hour.
The terms of any such proposed statement shall first be submitted to Mr Speaker.
But the Speaker said the Minority leader should have first prompted him about such an issue before it could have been raised.
The Speaker, therefore, said raising the issue without letting him know before hand is tantamount to ‘ambushing’ Parliament and therefore did not permit the Minority leader.
The Minority threatened to boycott proceedings after the Speaker had refused to give their leader the opportunity to raise the issue on the floor.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent