Deputy National Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has denied claims that the party has replaced James Gyakye Quayson as their parliamentary candidate ahead of the upcoming Assin North by-election.
He noted that the NDC will re-present Quayson for the election, adding that he is credible and loved by his constituents.
“The party has a plan, but what we are sharing with the public is that the NDC is ready for the by-election. We know that the government is coming to challenge us, and we are already on the ground, and so our preparations are underway. The NDC is prepared for the Assin North by-election,” he said on Citi FM.
His comment comes after Parliament wrote to the Electoral Commission (EC) declaring the Assin North seat vacant.
The Clerk of Parliament, Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah wrote to the EC on Monday, May 29, following an order in the recent Supreme Court ruling that James Quayson’s name be expunged from its records.
The apex court concluded that Quayson failed to renounce his Canadian citizenship at the time of filing his nomination forms to contest the polls in Assin North.
But reacting to the development, the NDC deputy scribe slammed the government for scheming to deny the people of Assin North their rightful representation in Parliament by using the judiciary.
“We have said that the government has denied the people of Assin North representation in Parliament by using the judiciary. As we speak, the Supreme Court has not been able to deliver a written judgment to the parties involved, which is in itself a travesty of the process.
“What this means to us is that we need to consolidate our gains on the ground and reinforce what we already know. We have stated that we are re-presenting the candidate that we know, James Gyakye Quayson, who is credible and loved by his constituents. That decision has not changed. It is propaganda coming from the NPP to attack the integrity of our candidate that we are ditching him. The party has not said so,” he added.
Gbande insisted that “He [Quayson] is eligible to contest an election, and he is innocent until a court finds him guilty. Why is the NPP worried more than us?”
Source: Myxyzonline.com