The New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s Director of Legal Affairs, Gary Nimako, has denied that the ongoing projects in Assin North are motivated by the impending by-election.
Mr. Nimako stressed that there was no link between the developments and the Electoral Commission’s declaration of the by-election date.
“We have been working in Assin North all along, not because of by-election. We knew from day one that this man [Gyakye Quayson] was not qualified, he was not eligible to run for election. So when the Chiefs and Opinion Leaders brought their concerns about roads to our attention, we did it for them and we are still doing it.
“So it is not because of the EC’s announcement of the by-election that we went there to do any development work. It is a continuous project,” Mr Nimako said on Saturday, June 3 on The Big Issue.
Some residents of Assin Bereku, the district capital of Assin North, have expressed suspicion that the recent road repairs in their area are influenced by the upcoming by-election.
“We are not surprised by the road construction. We thank James Gyakye Quayson for putting pressure on the government. Just like mankind benefited from Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, James Gyakye Quayson has had a similar impact,” one resident told Citi News anonymously.
On his part, Abraham Amaliba, the Director of Legal Affairs for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), accused the NPP of neglecting the people of Assin North.
He added that the NPP will face defeat in the upcoming by-election.
Mr. Amaliba also defended his party’s decision to present James Gyakye-Quayson as their candidate for the by-election.
“Putting Gyakye-Quayson is a risk worth taking,” Mr Amaliba said, adding “The prosecution must prove that he had a criminal mind so the bar is high and that is why I would advise my General Secretary to put him up because he is a strong candidate for the constituency”
“They [NPP] are afraid of him and that is why when the Supreme Court ruled they quickly tried to cripple him by slapping criminal charges against him thinking we as a political party will abandon him so that they would have a field day.”
