I was treated unfairly – Gyakye Quayson speaks after by-election victory
James Gyakye Quayson, who was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for the Assin North constituency in the recent by-election, has criticized the governing New Patriotic Party following his victory.
In the by-election held on June 27, 2023, Mr. Quayson secured 17,245 votes, which accounted for 57.56 percent of the total votes cast. He defeated Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
Charles Opoku received 12,630 votes, representing 42.15 percent of the total votes cast in the highly contested by-election, while Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the LPG obtained a meager 87 votes (0.29%).
Mr. Quayson stated, “This victory is not just mine; it belongs to the people of Assin North and, in fact, the people of Ghana. Hopefully, we will one day pursue a path of justice. Politics should not revolve around distributing money to citizens for votes; it should focus on development. Democracy is about development.”
He reassured his constituents that they would receive their fair share of the national resources. He said, “We will ensure that the people I represent receive an equitable portion of the national resources and learn how to develop their communities.”
While discussing the court’s ruling against him, Mr. Quayson expressed his belief in the rule of law. He stated, “I believe in the rule of law, and I conduct myself accordingly. Despite being treated unfairly, I still have faith in the rule of law. I had the support of my constituents, as well as members from my party, the NDC, and even some individuals from the NPP who were backing me. They now know the results, and we will work with them.”
The Assin North parliamentary seat became vacant after the Supreme Court ordered Parliament to remove Gyakye Quayson’s name from its records in a ruling on May 17. The Supreme Court determined that Mr. Quayson was ineligible to contest the 2020 parliamentary election in the Assin North Constituency when he filed his nomination forms on October 9, 2020.
Source – citinewsroom.com
