Security and safety expert Adam Bonah praised the Ghana Police Service for its “exemplary performance” during the recently completed Assin North by-election.
Bonah, recognizing the significance of the police service’ effort in maintaining peace and order, gave the service an A+ grade for their professionalism and diligence throughout the electoral process.
Speaking to Ghanaweb, he emphasized that the measures implemented by the police during the tension-filled by-election played a vital role in preventing potential outbreaks of violence.
“For my assessment, I will give the police, in terms of handling this particular high-tensioned by-election in Assin North, I will give them an A+ which will be about 85%,” Bonah stated.
He added “I say so because if the police had not put a lot more strategy and a lot more men on the ground, along with the assistance of other security agencies, Assin North would have been bloodier than Techiman.
“Assin North would have been bloodier than Talensi, Assin North would have been bloodier than Ayawaso Wougon, and probably all other by-elections. So, for me, I think their performance is commendable. They have done what probably they had not been able to do in all by-elections since the 1992 constitution.”
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission declared James Gyakye Quayson as the Member of Parliament-elect for the Assin North constituency on June 27, 2023, following the conclusion of the by-election. Quayson, who contested on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), emerged victorious with a significant margin.
According to the Electoral Commission’s announcement, James Gyakye Quayson garnered a total of 17,245 votes, representing 57.56% of the total votes cast. His closest contender, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), received 12,630 votes, accounting for 42.15% of the votes. Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party Ghana (LPG) secured 87 votes, which represented 0.29% of the overall tally.
The by-election in Assin North was held to fill the parliamentary seat left vacant following a legal battle that questioned Quayson’s eligibility to hold office due to dual citizenship concerns.