Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that documents available to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has revealed that some names have found their way into the Assin North register, as the constituency prepares for a by-election.
According to him, the “strange” names are of concern to the party as there hasn’t been any new registration and first time voters have not been registered. He indicated that there is the need for the appropriate authority to ensure the names are expunged from the register ahead of the elections.
“I call on the electoral commission to immediately call all the parties and reconcile the data… Will you believe that strange names have found their way to the register – when you compare the 2020 register which was used for the voting to the current register?… So, how is it you take the electoral register we are seeing additions, strange names.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Furthermore, Mr Ablakwa stated that the party intends to meet with the Electoral Commission to raise some of the concerns with the register.
“I call on the Electoral Commission to immediately call all the parties and explain how come this is happening… Very troubling development.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Reacting to the day to day appearance of Gyakye Quayson in the criminal trial against him, Mr Ablakwa noted that the party remains resolute in winning the Assin North seat. With this, he emphasized that the NPP “should do their worse as they keep doing”.
“History teaches us that people don’t learn from history. Persecute Quayson in court, the people of Assin North will still vote for him. In 1951, the Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah was imprisoned, the Ga people in Greater Accra, not even his hometown in Nkroful voted massively for him to the legislative assembly… Can you imagine a member of parliament who is being hounded, he is always in court, they want him out, persecuting him, maligning him and yet, he made time for all of these contributions [in parliament]. Indelibly, he’s made a mark that the parliament of Ghana will always salute him for.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
NDC has been irresponsible
Meanwhile, the Managing drector of the State Transport Company (STC), Nana Akomea, has disclosed that issues surrounding “additions to the electoral roll” can be resolved if what the NDC is saying can be substantiated. He highlighted that with almost every elections, there are always accusations about additions and the NDC is no stranger to that phenomenon.
“Remember NDC’s own internal elections, one of the main complaints by Duffuor was that there have been strange names added to the register and the NDC vigorously disputed that.”
Nana Akomea
Touching on the Assin North by-election, Mr Akomea noted that the “NDC and Mr Quayson, [have] been clearly irresponsible and they should be punished by the people of Assin North for the irresponsibility”. He explained that the electoral laws of the country is clear on the matter that when one wants to contest for a public office, he must not have dual nationality, which Gyakye Quayson flouted.
“The Supreme Court of Ghana, has given a date by which date you should have completed that renunciation. In fact, the date was given in a case that involves another NDC member of parliament – Zanetor Rawlings. When she went through the NDC primaries in Osu, another NDC stalwart, took the matter to court that she didn’t qualify. The court ruled that the qualification date is not the party primaries, but the filing with the electoral commission. Because at the filing, you make statutory declaration…”
Nana Akomea
Mr Akomea stated that the NDC has been misleading itself in the criminal case against Gyakye Quayson. He explained that during a criminal case, the parties are required to file a document with the court and each other, which both parties did.
Moreover, he indicated that the court meets with the parties to decide on the issues arising from the pleadings and mode. With this, he emphasized that the daily hearing of the Quayson case has been agreed by the parties at the case management stage.
“It just happens that the Electoral Commission of Ghana fixes a date for the by-election that would affect the timelines agreed for the case. So, if the EC has set a date that can affect Quayson, all you do is apply for the timeline to be varied… What irresponsibility, and they are coming to tell us that it is somebody who is against them…”.
Nana Akomea
