Mahama and the NDC executives in Parlaiment
Former President John Dramani Mahama yesterday stormed Parliament to participate in the swearing-in of James Gyakye Quayson as the Member of Parliament for Assin North.
He was accompanied to the House by the leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as well as some members of his campaign team.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin yesterday swore in Gyakye Quayson, who won the June 27 by-election.
The by-election was called after the Supreme Court declared on May 17 that his prior election at the 2020 general election was unlawful and hence barred him from holding himself as MP for Assin North.
Mr. Mahama was in the House to solidarise with Mr. Gyakye Quayson and make the swearing-in a grand occasion for the NDC, with the Minority MPs wearing all white.
The Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson, declared that the outcome was a clear signal to “all politicians and the government of the day in particular that the Assin North cannot be hoodwinked by sharing of money or be intimidated.”
“It is the same message Ghanaians are sending to us that in the year 2024 they will exercise their franchise based on their conscience. No amount of tricks or threats will dissuade them from voting out the situation that we are witnessing,” he added.
According to him, Ghanaians are really appalled by the abysmal economic mismanagement, poor governance and increasing level of corruption, leading to unprecedented hardship.
Majority Response
But the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, in a sharp rebuttal, said the NDC’s electoral victory at the Assin North by-election was a pyrrhic one, contrary to attempts to make it a peak one.
“I believe the NDC will want to make us a victim. The NDC will want us to believe that this is a peak victory that contends the pride of the NPP as the Minority Leader has eluded to.
“We the parliamentary group of the NPP also believe that this is a momentary victory of fantasia character. GyakyeQuayson is the choice of the Assin North people and we will respect that,” he stated.
On the accusation that the NPP shared money during the by-election, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said witnessed the NDC distributing machetes, insecticides, and wellington boots with the aid to buy votes, adding, “liabilities can be expressed.”
“Mr. Speaker, we welcome our colleague. He entered this House rightly or wrongly but he cultivated friends whilst his stay here lasted.
“I am not sure anybody can say that Gyakye Quayson is an enemy to him. We may disagree on a few things but I believe that across the political divide, he made so many friends,” he noted.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House