Philanthropist Charles Opoku wins NPP Assin North primaries

Mr Charles Opoku, a popular philanthropist in the Central Region and an indigene of the Assin North constituency, has won the parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Parties (NPP).

Charles Opoku polled 397 (74.06%) of the valid votes cast and his closest contender, Freeman Amoah-Kyei, polled 136 (25.37%) of the total 533 valid votes cast. Three (3) votes (0.57%) were rejected bring the total votes cast to 536.

The battle lines are thus drawn between the NPP candidate for the Assin North by-election (Charles Opoku) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate,  James Gyakye Quayson, scheduled for Tuesday 27 June 2023.

The Assin North constituency seat became vacant following a 17 May 2023 judgement of a seven-member Supreme Court panel which included Justices Jones Dotse (presiding), Nene Amegatcher, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkornoo, Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Yonny Kulendi and Barbara Ackah-Yensu, unanimously declared the election and swearing-in of the MP for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect.

The apex court held that Quayson was not qualified to contest for the position of member of Parliament at the time of filing his nomination forms between 5 to 9 October 2020, in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The court further held that the Electoral Commission (EC) erred when it allowed Quayson to stand for the Assin North seat in the 2020 general election when he had not shown evidence of renunciation of his Canadian citizenship.

The NDC just after the judgement of the Supreme Court, decided to throw its weight behind the embattled former MP, James Gyakye Quayson and to allow him to recontest for the Assin North constituency seat. The party as a result, did not hold primaries to elect a candidate like the NPP did.

Aspirants of all political parties who wish to contest in the by-election the Electoral Commission (EC) has said, will receive their nomination forms from Monday, 12 June to Wednesday 14 June from 9:00am to 12:00pm and from 2:00pm to 5:00pm each day. The aspirants are also required to pay a GHc 10,000.00 filing fee and all completed nomination forms are expected to be delivered to the EC in quadruplicate.

Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in Accra

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