The Member of Parliament for Amenfi Central, Peter Kwakye-Ackah, has withdrawn his bid as an independent candidate for the 2024 elections.
In his statement, Mr. Kwakye-Ackah cited the recent ruling by the Sekondi High Court, which cleared NDC candidate Joana Cudjoe to contest in the December 7 elections, as the primary reason for his decision.
He acknowledged that with only 18 days remaining before the election, continuing his campaign as an independent candidate is no longer a viable option.
“I am deeply grateful to the party’s Elders and other senior members for their guidance, which has led me to make this decision in the best interest of the party,” he stated in his message.
This move follows that of another independent contender, Dr. Karl Mark Arhin, who also withdrew his candidacy to back Madam Cudjoe.
Speaking at a rally in Kyeikrom on November 16, Dr. Arhin, alongside NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, explained that his decision to run independently had been a temporary strategy to ensure the NDC’s participation in the election amid legal challenges faced by Cudjoe.
It remains uncertain whether Mr. Kwakye-Ackah will publicly offer his support to Joana Cudjoe as well.
Dr. Karl Mark Arhin, one of the independent candidates in the Amenfi Central parliamentary race, has officially stepped down from the race to endorse Joana Gyan Cudjoe of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He will now serve as her campaign manager.
Arhin, who had initially contested the NDC primaries but lost, made the announcement shortly after the Sekondi High Court ruled in favour of Cudjoe, allowing her to contest the elections. The court’s decision lifted a previous injunction that had prevented her candidature.
Addressing a rally in Kyeikrom on November 16, with NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah present, Dr. Arhin clarified that his candidature had only been temporary, as he had stepped in during Cudjoe’s legal battles.
He called on voters to rally behind her now that the court had cleared the way for her to run.
“I only went in to contest as an independent candidate in the absence of Joana Gyan Cudjoe but she has come. I therefore encourage you all to vote for her as she is the right person for the constituency now. I and my household are going to vote for her, so let’s all vote for her and John Dramani Mahama. I’m no more a candidate despite my picture being on the ballot,” he said.
The National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, while commending Dr. Karl Mark Arhin said he has not broken any party rules since it is the party that forced him to contest as an independent candidate following the court wrangling that nearly denied the NDC a candidate.
“It is the NDC party executives that sat to plant this independent candidate to ensure that the NDC have one of their own to vote for, looking at how the NPP was hiding behind some people to deny the NDC representation in the parliamentary election with the court case.
“So Dr. Karl Mark Arhin has not breached any party regulation, and on the day of the court injunction vacation, we called Karl to thank him and told him to step aside and rather become her campaign manager,” he explained.
Joana Gyan Cudjoe, the NDC’s candidate for Amenfi Central, expressed her gratitude to Dr. Karl Mark Arhin and the party’s supporters. She assured them that she would collaborate closely with him and everyone involved to secure the Amenfi Central seat for the NDC.
“Today is a happy day, and all I want to tell Amenfi Central and Ghana is that we thank all of you. This is because we survived what we went through with the help of God. Let’s remember on the election day that my position on the ballot paper is two. Vote for me and John Mahama.”
