The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced plans to hold a ‘thank you tour’ in the Assin North constituency from Friday, July 7 to Sunday, July 9, in celebration of James Gyakye Quayson’s victory in the constituency.
The tour will encompass various activities, starting with a soccer gala, prayers with the Muslim and Christian communities, and a visit to injured supporters in Assin Dansame.
The highlight of the tour will be a grand rally held on Sunday, July 9, at the Assin Breku Methodist School Park.
The rally will feature notable speakers, including former President John Dramani Mahama, who also serves as the party’s flagbearer for the 2024 elections. Additionally, the National Chairman of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, and the Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson, will address the gathering.
Following the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the annulment of the 2020 constituency election by a High Court, Mr. Quayson was removed from Parliament. Additionally, he is currently facing a criminal trial related to allegations of dual citizenship, which contributed to his expulsion from Parliament.
However, despite these challenges, Mr. Quayson managed to secure victory once again in the Assin North Constituency seat during the recent election. Remarkably, he garnered a wider margin of victory, receiving 17,245 votes representing 57.56% of the valid votes.
His primary opponent, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party, secured the second position with 12,630 votes, which accounted for 42.15% of the valid votes. Meanwhile, Bernice Enam Sefanu from the Liberal Party of Ghana obtained a minimal 87 votes, constituting only 0.29% of the valid votes.
The Assin North lawmaker is currently facing legal proceedings for forgery and perjury, as charged by the Attorney-General’s Office. Additionally, he is accused of deceiving a public officer and knowingly making a false declaration when he filed nominations for the 2020 election without renouncing his Canadian citizenship.
However, in response to the ongoing trial, he has filed a motion on notice at the High Court, seeking a stay of proceedings while awaiting an appeal. The motion requests the court to order a suspension of the ongoing legal proceedings until the appeal, which was filed on June 27, 2023, is determined.
Through the motion, the applicant is seeking the court’s intervention to temporarily halt the trial proceedings until the appeal is resolved.