President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is urging the residents of Assin North Constituency in the Central Region not to make a mistake by voting for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate in the by-election since James Gyakye Quayson cannot deliver on the duties expected of him as a Member of Parliament (MP).
According to the President, ‘’We need someone who can come and help you.
Someone who will work in your interest. I heard Gyakye Quayson say that even in prison, you people will vote for him, can he work from jail? We vote for people to go to Parliament to work, how can he work from prison so don’t vote for someone who will end up in jail, vote for someone who can work to improve your lives.”
President Akufo-Addo, who said this when addressing a large gathering of Assin North residents, noted that “We vote for people to go to Parliament to work, how can he work from prison? So don’t vote for someone who will end up in jail, vote for someone who can work to improve your lives’’.
He further explained that “The law that caught Adamu Sakande has not changed and Assin North shouldn’t be voting for someone who will be moving from Supreme Court to High Court and from there to Appeal Court”.
President Akufo-Addo’s statement came as part of his campaign efforts to rally support for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate in the Assin North by-election scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
President Akufo-Addo also dismissed claims that he was influencing the court against Mr. Quayson, adding that the laws of Ghana have caught up with him.
He urged them to carefully evaluate the candidate’s backgrounds, qualifications, and reputations before casting their votes in the by-election.
President Akufo-Addo further urged voters in Assin North to endorse the NPP’s candidate, Charles Opoku, and added that the election is crucial for the constituency and the nation as a whole.
The President also denied claims of being behind the prosecution of James Gyakye Quayson, adding that he has never interfered in the work of the judiciary throughout his stay in office as President.
A by-election in Assin North has become necessary after parliament wrote to the Electoral Commission declaring the seat vacant.
This followed a Supreme Court ruling that the Electoral Commission acted unconstitutionally in allowing Mr. Quayson to contest the 2020 parliamentary election without proof of him renouncing his Canadian Citizenship.
The apex court in its ruling ordered parliament to expunge James Gyakye Quayson’s name from its records as a Member of Parliament.
It further declared that his election was unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect. His swearing-in was equally declared to be unconstitutional.
BY Daniel Bampoe