Ben Ephson
Pollster and Managing Editor of the Dispatch, Ben Ephson has predicted a victory for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Assin North by-election following the annulment of the 2020 parliamentary elections in that constituency by a cape coast High Court.
Mr Ephson told Johnnie Hughes on the Mid Day news on 3FM Wednesday, July 28 that electoral statistics favour the NPP going into the by-election.
“This seat is more of an NPP seat than NDC. In 2020 there was a split in terms of the NPP in this constituency. In 2016 the NPP won the seat 15553 votes and NDC 10751, the margin of victory for NPP was 4802.
“In 2020 NPP had 14,793, NDC had 17,498, and margin of victory for NDC was 2733. In the run-up to the 2020 elections, there was a split in front of the NPP. When the margin is not huge in such by-elections the incumbent government always wins so yes he may go for appeal, if the appeal is thrown out, it is going to be fresh elections and likely NDC might lose.”
The Court on Wednesday, July 28 annulled the 2020 parliamentary election result.
A cost of 10, 000 has been awarded against the Electoral commission and 30 thousand against Joe Gyekye Quayson who until the cancellation of the result was the Assin North MP.
the presiding judge, Justice Kwasi Boakye said Mr. Quayson was “restrained from holding himself out as Member of Parliament-elect for the Assin North constituency within the Central Region of the Republic of Ghana and further presenting himself to be sworn in as Member of Parliament-elect as such until the final determination of the petition.”
One Michael Ankoma-Nimfah, a mason and resident of Assin Bereku filed a petition against over dual citizenship.
Private legal practitioner and member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B) has said the cancellation of the Assin North parliamentary election results by the Cape Coast High Court is a victory for rule of law.
Speaking to the media after the court ruling, Nana B said “Today is another victory for rule of law. This a petition that was filed by our own friend Michael Ankomah-Nimfah.
“Today the court, after almost six months has upheld our position and the petitioner’s position for that matter.
“We had repeatedly said Honourable Quayson at the time of filing his nomination to contest as an MP was a Canadian and also a Ghanaian.”
Mr Alex Segbefia, a private legal practitioner for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) disagreed with the court saying this is a matter that the Supreme Court has to make pronouncement.
“If they nominate a judge to be in any position when does he become judge? At the point of nomination?
“ It is when he is sworn in so there are three separate dates and this is a matter we think the Supreme Court has to actually rule on.
“There is a time of filing, there is a time of election in this particular case. When the elections took place was he a citizens of this country or not, and then there is a time of when he actually swore that He is a Member of Parliament.”
