Voting is under way to elect a new Member of Parliament for Assin North in the Central Region.
The Supreme Court on 17 May 2023 declared that the election and swearing-in of the MP for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, sitting on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), was unconstitutional, null and void.
Roughly 41,168 constituents are expected to vote at 99 polling stations in Assin North in what has been described as a critical by-election that will determine who controls Ghana’s legislature.
Main contenders
Today’s election is a straight race between Charles Opoku of the governing NPP and the opposition NDC’s James Gyakye Quayson, who was ousted as the MP for the area by the Supreme Court, which found errors in his candidature in the 2020 election because of his status as a dual citizen at the time.
Security
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare, says adequate safety protection measures have been put in place to ensure a violence-free election.
The IGP gave local voters this assurance after meeting with chief stakeholders in the election.
They included representatives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) and Electoral Commission.
Civic duty
A statement issued by the police on Monday (26 June) urged the people of Assin North to go about their normal activities freely and also to exercise their civic duty of casting their vote.
“As we go into the Assin North by-election tomorrow, 27 June 2023, the Police Service wishes to assure the people of Assin North in particular and Ghanaians in general that adequate security measures have been put in place within the constituency in order to ensure security, law and order before, during and after the election.
“In addition, at the instance of the Inspector General of Police, the Police Management Board (POMAB) held a meeting this morning with key stakeholders in the election including the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) and the Electoral Commission to enhance the working relationship among all stakeholders towards a peaceful election,” the police statement said.
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra
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