Director of Research and Elections for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Evans Nimako, has touted the ability of the party to win the Assin North by-election slated for Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
He argued the Assin North Constituency, which was carved out of the Assin Central Constituency, had been the base of the NPP.
The party, he said, would therefore annex the seat come June 27.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr. Nimako said the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the Assin North parliamentary seat by default in 2020.
According to him, the NPP had always won in that constituency in both the presidential and parliamentary elections.
“For us, the battle is still the Lords, and winning will be our portion,” he stated.
Mr Nimako disclosed that last Friday, the two aspirants of the party who picked forms to contest in the parliamentary primary were cleared for the election on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
He mentioned the aspirants as Charles Opoku and Frederick Freeman Amoah-Kyei.
The party’s internal election follows the declaration by Parliament that the Assin North Parliamentary seat is vacant after the Supreme Court ruled on the eligibility of James Gyakye Quayson, to occupy the Assin North seat and the subsequent announcement by the Electoral Commission (EC) that the by-election would be held on June 27, 2023.
NDC won by default
Mr Nimako stated that the victory of Mr Quayson in 2020 was by default as the Assin North seat, which was carved out of the Assin Central, had been the base of the NPP.
The NPP Director of Elections stated that Mr Quayson whom the NDC was presenting as their candidate for the by-election could not be trusted following the Cape Coast High Court and the Supreme Court ruling that found him not eligible to have contested in the 2020 general election.
“I think the good people of Assin North want to be represented in Parliament by someone who is unblemished, credible, and can represent the interest of the chiefs and the people of Assin North, leaders and members of all faith-based organisations in the constituency, the NPP is poised to annex the seat come Tuesday, June 27,” Mr Nimako stated further.