The National Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has revealed that democracy spoke loudly on the day of the Assin North by-election.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party’s defeat in the Assin North by-election was a profound statement made by the people of Assin North.
He revealed that the NPP had worked so hard to win the seat from the National Democratic Congress (NDC). However, he explained that the people of Assin North exercised their constitutional rights and decided to retain James Gyakye Quayson whom the Supreme Court ordered Parliament to expunge his name from its records in a ruling on May 17.
Mr. Boakye explained that the NDC’s victory in the by-election is nothing unusual but just a case of Ghana’s democratic growth.
“Democracy spoke loudly on the day; you go to one by-election and you win overwhelmingly and then you go to one by-election and you have lost is not that much of a bad thing. But the projection that the victory is a loud statement for the NDC in the 2024 elections is laughable because are they saying the Kumawu seat is also a loud statement for the NPP.”
Henry Nana Boakye
Furthermore, Mr Boakye highlighted that the same projections were made about the Kumawu by-election with some political participants even predicting a defeat for the NPP but the party went into the by-election and won with a bigger margin.
“Political watchers said they were expecting a low turnout in Kumawu because of the prevailing economic challenges, they were even expecting the NPP to be defeated, but that did not materialise. It is a wake-up call for the NPP. We committed ourselves to put a strong campaign in Assin North but the people spoke on the day and they spoke loudly for Gyakye Quayson.”
Henry Nana Boakye
NPP denies vote-buying claims
Meanwhile, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region and Municipal Chief Executive for Atwima Nwabiagya, Michael Amoah Awuku, has revealed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should stop the pretense of not engaging in vote buying in the recently held Assin North by-election.
He indicated that the NDC equally engaged in a vote buying by distributing sewing machines, hair dryers, fertilizers and other items to some people in Assin North Constituency to vote for its candidate.
Mr Awuku further explained the allegations of vote buying are a problem both the NPP and the NDC need to overcome.
“They (NDC) have done well, they have won the elections, we go back to our drawing board, we rethink our strategy again but they shouldn’t come here and say the NPP was sharing money. What about the sewing machines and others they were sharing as well? NDC should stop lying and engaging in untruth, we all have our differences.”
Michael Amoah Awuku
Furthermore, he described as “ridiculous” the assertion that the NPP engaged in vote buying. He noted that giving money to electorates is a normal practice.
Prior to that, the Ashanti Regional Communications Director of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abass Nurudeen, criticized the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for vote buying during the just-ended Assin North by-election.
Abass Nurudeen revealed that the NPP shared everything including “Akpeteshie” during Tuesday’s by-election. He highlighted that the NPP was sharing GHC200 and GHC300 to some voters to influence them to vote for their candidate.
He however, denied claims that he was involved in distributing money and accused the NPP of attempting to divert attention from its actions.
Justifying his stance, he indicated that he witnessed the distribution of money in ten different locations in Assin Breku, the district capital, and other communities within the Assin North constituency. To this end, he called on the Ghana Police Service and the Office of the Special Prosecutor to address the issue.
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