The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah has attributed the outcome of the Assin North by-election, which was won by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to sympathy votes rather than being a clear reflection of the preferred choice of the constituents
According to him, the triumph of the NDC should not be mistaken as a reflection of the people’s unwavering support for the party.
Speaking to journalists, Ahiagbah explained that the NDC strategically portrayed a negative image of the government to the residents of the Assin North Constituency.
“The NDC went to Assin North seeking appeal for sympathy with the message that the NPP is persecuting James Gyakye Quayson and not the law that is dealing with him. That is a false representation of the facts of the matter and that false narrative created a situation which incited the people against the government,” he stated.
Mr Ahiagbah also argued that the NPP did not remove Mr Quayson from Parliament, but that it was his own false declarations that led to the Supreme Court ordering Parliament to expunge his name from the records of the house.
He said that the NDC was “riding on a lot of falsehoods” and that they used this to appeal to the emotions of the people in order to win the election.
“A lot of falsehoods was what the NDC was riding on, and they used that to appeal to the emotions of the people, and they carried the day,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says he is confident that sooner than later, Assin North will be blue again.
He has therefore urged members of his party, the NPP, to keep their heads up, recognising that, in a democracy, there are winners and losers.
“I urge members of my party, the New Patriotic Party, to keep their heads up, recognising that, in a democracy, there are winners and losers, and that we live to fight another day. We once held the Assin North seat, and I am confident that, sooner rather than later, Assin North will be blue again,” he stated.
