Last week the New Patriotic Party (NPP) battled it out with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) battled it out for the vacant seat at Assin North in the Central Region. It turned out as usual to be a straight battle between the NPP and the NDC.
While the NDC went into battle in its full element of propaganda and its lies, to convince the electorates to vote for James Gyakye Quayson, the NPP went into battle as if to celebrate a victory that was not yet won.
In my opinion, there are four main reasons why the NPP lost Assin North and they are: 1). Late Developmental Projects, 2). The President on James Gyakye Quayson, 3). Choice of Parliamentary Candidate, and 4). Show of power in the NPP.
Before talking about the reckless show of power, let me go through the following:
Firstly, it was quite obvious especially to those who understand Art. 94 (2a) of the Constitution that at the filing of nomination with the EC, every aspirant must satisfy Art 94, before the forms are accepted. NDC’s James Gyakye Quayson failed on Art. 94 (2a), because at the time of filing he held dual citizenship. The NDC itself had disqualified him twice before on this same matter.
So, with this in mind that the seat would be declared vacant any time, what stopped the NPP government from beginning some vital developmental projects in Assin North and surrounding constituencies.
Pushing in developments in the late hour will inform any lay person that without a bye-election, no development will take place, so government must be punished.
Secondly, it was very unfortunate for the President to mention that Gyakye Quayson would be jailed, talking like the Rawlingses who could threaten to carpet bomb a community if they fail to vote for the NDC.
Also, with the president’s remarks, if the High Court truthfully and with real justice, ruled Gyakye Quayson guilty, people will say it was influenced by the president.
Thirdly was Charles Opoku, the ideal candidate or he was imposed on the constituency? The NDC is saying he was their own who had wanted to contest the bye-elections but he was turned down and he settled on NPP.
During the 2020 elections, the NPP presented Abena Durowa Mensah as its candidate for Assin North she polled 14,193 votes or 44.79% to place second. James Gyekye Quayson polled 17,498 votes or 55.21% to win the seat.
Why was Abena Durowa Mensah rejected in the bye-elections? She performed better than Charles Opoku who had 12,630 or 42.15% against Gyakye Quayson who polled 17,245 or 57.56% in the bye-elections.
Social media came with information from alleged NPP Assin North sources that there was a certain Frederick Freeman Amoa-Kyei, who had become very popular and much loved by the constituents of Assin North because of things he was doing there with his own money and resources.
The report went on to say that most of those people who voted against NPP in 2020, promised to cast their votes for the Party, if Amoa-Kyei was the candidate. Why wasn’t Abena or Amoa-Kyei picked? Allegations had it that they were perceived to be Alanite. So, are the party executives saying if it has only Alanites, then the party can lose elections for all they care?
This brings up the fourth point. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen must be giving some people at the top in the NPP some dreadful nightmares and so everything must be done to quench the inferno, his name and popularity is spreading.
Sometime ago, a Regional Chairman could gather some party faithful and tell them to discard whatever promises Alan is making.
At a rally to climax the campaign for Charles Opoku, the national executives watched on as a foul play was enacted against Alan.
Information from Kennedy Agyapong, which was almost similar to what I heard, stated that some makeshift staircase was brought to the place Alan was to speak. Meanwhile the executives had kept our vice president in some area, which could expose him to security risks and they waited until Alan took the mic and was speaking, they quickly placed the steps on an unapproved route directly facing Alan and the vice president was helped up to the platform. Alan was commanded not to speak any more by a party minor.
If this is to prove to Alan that the vice president is far more popular than him and so should be the next flag bearer, then it backfired. Alan’s popularity ratings has soared up since it was clearly demonstrated to all Ghanaians, and I am told this same insanity took place at Kumawu, that he is fighting forces who do not think about the party but about their own selfish agenda.
Many people who were at the rally grounds might have lost faith in the NPP and that greatly translated into the defeat at the polls. Because instead of being shown and told who Charles Opoku was, the NPP decided to show them who is who in the party.
Instead of organising well to win the bye-elections, NPP party executives decided to rather organise well to bring down Alan and that failed the party, because what man saw in a shepherd boy, God saw a King.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
