NDC will win Assin North by-election if NPP does not engage in vote-buying again — Mustapha Gbande

Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Mustapha Gbande has reiterated that the party will present James Gyakye Quayson as its candidate for the Assin North by-election.

According to him, if the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) does not engage in vote buying during the election like it did in the just-ended Kumawu by-election, the NDC will emerge victorious.

“NPP will engage in vote buying….We want the police to take action when we report cases of vote buying. Once the issue of vote buying is dealt with that will create a level playing field for the elections.

“For us, we are optimistic we will win the election,” Mustapha Gbande said in an interview with Citi News on Tuesday evening.

The NDC Deputy General Secretary further stressed that the party has no plans of sidelining James Gyakye Quayson.

He explained that the party believes its candidate for the 2020 parliamentary election has not committed any crime and there is no need to change him.

“He is eligible to contest an election and the NDC as it stands we did indicate in our earlier letter from our General Secretary that we will represent the same candidate for that election and that is what we stand by.

“He stands as the sole candidate for this election and so the NDC is ready,” Mustapha Gbande said.

James Gyakye Quayson emerged as the MP-elect for Assin North at the end of the 2020 election.

He has been found guilty of contesting the election while holding dual citizenship.

As a result, the Supreme Court directed Parliament to expunge his name from its records.

In a letter to the Electoral Commission (EC) on Monday, May 29, Parliament informed the commission that the Assin North parliamentary seat is officially vacant.

The EC will now make arrangements to hold a by-election in Assin North.