A political scientist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology [KNUST] says the National Democratic Congress’ James Gyakye Quayson, has a higher chance of emerging as Assin North MP in the upcoming by-election.
According to Dr Amakye Boateng, the constituents are more likely to vote for the embattled legislator again out of sympathy for what he’s suffered since he became their representative.
“This thing that has befallen him, ever since he became the Member of Parliament of the area, to the best of my knowledge, it is expected to inure to his benefit. I expect the people there who voted for him the last time would want to do so again.
“The man has not changed. When he became the Member of Parliament, he engaged with the constituency given the challenges he has had to go through of late. I expect the people there to also give him the sympathy vote,” he said.
Speaking on UPfront on JoyNews, he said although the other candidate is a resident and undertakes philanthropic activities, he had never shown interest in politics.
Therefore, coming out to show interest in the seat out of the blue, will require a lot of effort to convince the electorates.
“I don’t know the extent to which he as an individual is going to be energised to actively engage the people to let them know that he is interested in leading them as a Member of Parliament.”
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party have taken campaign in the constituency a notch higher with the aim of capturing Assin North seat.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission says it is prepared for the Assin North by-election on Tuesday, June 27.
Following a Supreme Court ruling that ousted former MP James Gyakye Quayson as an elected member of parliament, the Assin North seat became vacant.
The court held that his election was null and void because, at the time, he filed to contest, he owed allegiance to another country contrary to Ghanaian laws.
Nonetheless, the NDC has backed the ousted MP to contest again despite an ongoing criminal trial.
