The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on the public to ignore claims by the opposition National
Democratic Congress (NDC) that it is seeking to transfer the name of one Charles Opoku into the Assin
North register to make him eligible to contest the upcoming by-election in that constituency.
According to the NPP, it is the forbearer of election reforms in Ghana and would not do anything to mar
that enviable record.
In a press release on June 4, 2023, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) stated that it has taken notice of a
press statement issued by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on June 4, 2023, signed by the
party’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, alleging that the NPP “is in cahoots with their
collaborators in the Electoral Commission to transfer and insert the name of one Charles Opoku, into the
Voters Register of the Assin North Constituency”.
“True to their character, the NDC’s statement is replete with spurious claims and baseless allegations
intended to mislead the Ghanaian public and, unsurprisingly, prepare the ground for them to reject their
imminent embarrassing defeat in the Assin North by-election,” the NPP stated.
Setting the records straight, the NPP emphatically debunked the allegations that the Party “is in a plot to
illegally insert the name of an unqualified NPP Parliamentary Candidate into the Assin North Register”.
“Over the years, the NPP has worked hard to maintain its enviable position as the pacesetter of multiparty
democracy in Ghana, which includes the strengthening of independent democratic institutions of State
like the Electoral Commission. As such, we cannot be the Party that would engage in any acts that would
jeopardize the nation’s democratic gains,” the party stated.
The NPP stated that it has no Parliamentary Candidate for Assin North.
“As publicly advertised, the Party is yet to hold Parliamentary Primaries in the Assin North Constituency to
elect the Party’s Parliamentary Candidate for the by-election. It therefore beggars belief how the NDC is
able to determine our Parliamentary Candidate ahead of time, and to suggest that we are plotting with the
EC to illegally insert his name in the Assin North register,” the party state.
The NPP accused the NDC of being deficient in their appreciation of Ghana’s electoral laws.
“We wish to give them some education on the relevant aspects of the law. Their claim that the NPP is
seeking to transfer the name of a registered voter to the Assin North register to qualify him to contest in
the parliamentary by-election actually betrays the NDC's appreciation of Article 94(1)(a) of the 1992
Constitution. Article 94(1)(a) does not require a parliamentary candidate to be registered in the
constituency they wish to contest to be viable.
“The Constitution only requires that a candidate be a registered voter, it does not matter where they are
registered. The Constitution also requires a Candidate to hail from the Constituency he is seeking to
contest. The two Candidates who have filed to contest on the NPP’s ticket in the by-election hail from
Assin North and have both resided in that Constituency beyond the minimum period of five years required
by the Constitution.
“It is in accordance with this that the Electoral Commission of Ghana only requires a Parliamentary
Candidate to make a Statutory Declaration to the effect that he/she is a registered voter simplicita. This
can be seen under Part IV of the Parliamentary Nominations Form -2023, which was made available by
the EC for aspiring Parliamentary Candidates in the by-election.
“Unlike the NDC, we are focused on selecting a qualified and capable candidate, one who carries no legal
baggage like the NDC's Mr. James Gyakye Quayson, to represent the good people of Assin North.
“The NPP wishes to assure Ghanaians, particularly the people of Assin North that it is committed to
upholding and defending the 1992 Constitution,” the party stated.
The release was signed by Richard Ahiagbah, Director Of Communications.
