Electorate in the Assin North Constituency in the Central Region today goes to the polls to cast their votes in a parliamentary by-election to elect a member of parliament for the area.
Following the declaration of the seat as vacant as a result of a Supreme Court decision for the name of James Gyakye Quayson to be expunged from parliament, the area received intense political activities in the run-up to today’s elections.
A total of 41,168 registered voters are expected to vote in 99 polling stations across the constituency.
Three candidates are contesting today’s by-elections with Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s James Gyakye Quayson as the front runners in what is expected to be a keenly contested election. The third candidate, Bernice Enyonam Sefenu representing the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), is viewed by political watchers as “adding up to the numbers.”
Since 2012, the NDC had won two out three parliamentary elections (2012 and 2020) with the other one slot going to the NPP (2016) and pundits expect the seat to swing towards the NPP.
Before the creation of Assin North and Assin Central constituencies from the then Assin Constituency in 2012, the constituency was seen as the stronghold of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) with Kennedy Agyepong winning the seat three terms (2000, 2004, and 2008).
However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) represented by Samuel Ambre, won the newly created Assin North Parliamentary seat in the 2012 by obtaining 14,338 votes representing 51.64 per cent to beat Ebenezer Appiah-Kubi of the NPP who garnered 12,281 votes, representing 44.24 per cent.
In the 2016 parliamentary elections, Abena Durowaa Mensah who contested on the ticket of the NPP annexed the seat by securing 15,553 votes representing 56.77 per cent against Samuel Ambre of the NDC who secured 10,751 votes, representing 39.24 per cent.
The NPP candidate, Abena Durowaa Mensah who was the incumbent MP garnered 14,193 votes representing 44.79 per cent to hand over the seat to the NDC’s James Gyakye Quayson who obtained 17,498 votes, representing 55.21 per cent.
Strategically, the NPP selected Charles Opoku, an indigene of Assin Breku, the constituency capital to neutralise the political advantage of James Gyakye Quayson, also an indigene of the town.
Due to the seriousness both the NPP and NDC attached to the elections, high-ranking officials of the two political parties were in Assin North to campaign for their respective candidates in the run up to the poll.
Today’s poll is seen as a mid-term election to test the popularity of the ruling NPP administration and the main opposition NDC which would set the tone for a psychological mind game in the run-up to the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Charles Opoku, the NPP’s parliamentary candidate is tipped to win today’s by-election with a slim margin.
The NPP likewise, its NDC counterpart, sent members of different ethic identities to every community including farms and hamlets to campaign for their respective candidate.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, National Chairman, Stephen Ntim, General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong and other national officers of the party, members of parliament, regional and constituency executives and other officials among others campaigned rigorously on the need for the electorates to vote for Charles Opoku.
Led by the Former President, John Dramani Mahama, Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketsia, General Secretary of NDC, Fiifi Kwettey and other leading members of the party including members of parliament the NDC gave indication of the party winning the elections.
The NDC besides playing the sympathy card, focused on marshalling its supporters within the settler communities to vote massively for the party’s candidate in today’s by-elections.
General Secretary of the NDC, Fiifi Fiavi Kwettey, during a radio rally on Rich FM, a local radio station at Assin Fosu pleaded with the host to allow him speak Ewe to reach out to people from the Volta Region domiciled in the various communities in the Assin North Constituency.
FROM DAVID O.
YARBOI-TETTEH, ASSIN BEREKU