Member of Parliament representing Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, has declared that he will no longer be emotionally affected by the difficulties he encountered in his constituency after his official induction as their representative.
During the Victory Rally and Thanksgiving Service arranged by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Assin North on July 9, 2023, following the party’s resounding triumph in the recent by-election, James Gyakye Quayson expressed his determination not to be emotionally affected by the challenges he faced in his constituency after being sworn in as their Member of Parliament.
The purpose of the rally was to express gratitude for the support received during the recent by-election.
In his speech, James Gyakye Quayson reflected on the challenging periods leading up to the by-election and expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the constituents for their unwavering support all this while.
He said the nature of the challenges made him shed tears every time.
“From 2020 till the day we voted in the by-election, some of you may have noticed that anytime I stand to speak to you, I appear emotional and sometimes teary. It’s all because of what you were going through. All the tears I shed; it was for your sake,” he said.
However, he expressed a newfound sense of hope because he emerged victorious in the by-election and was also sworn in as their MP of choice for the constituency.
“But today, God has blessed us, let’s show our appreciation. Today, Joe Quayson will not weep again. Because you gave me victory, you gave Assin North victory, you gave Ghana victory, you gave the entire Africa victory. Because the path the by-election was taking wasn’t good,” he added.
The MP’s emotional speech resonated with his supporters who gathered massively together to celebrate their collective achievements.
Background
The Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, and his party, the National Democratic Congress, held a rally and thanksgiving service to celebrate the party’s victory in the constituency’s by-elections.
Leading figures in the party, including its presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, and National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi among others were present for the victory rally.
On Saturday, July 8, 2023, leading figures in the party visited victims of a road crash during a campaign before the constituency by-election.
The visiting team was led by the party’s former running mate, Prof Naana Opoku-Agyemang, and included by party’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi; the NDC Central Regional Chairman, Professor Jonathan Annan; as well as reps from all the regions, including MPs.
In a brief remark, Prof Annan thanked the accident victims and their families for remaining loyal to the party.
He disclosed that the party would take care of the medical bills of all the accident victims, who are 26 in number until they recover fully.
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 ruling 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.