The New Patriotic Party (NPP), Assin North constituency has reacted to comment by Assin North constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress over what latter claims the ‘By-election Gala’ organized by the constituency party during the Easter break is to influence the court in the on-going Assin North Member of Parliament’s trial.
According to the NDC chairman, the so called By-election Gala is an attempt by NPP constituency party to influence the court in the ongoing trial of the case involving Mr. Michael Ankomah-Ninfa, a private citizen and resident of Assin Bereku challenging the elegibility of Hon. James Quayson at the time of filing his nomination to contest as a Parliamentary candidate on the ticket of the NDC in the Constituency in the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
In statement released by the Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, he said, “Only persons with infantile and warped logic would come to a conclusion that a football gala organized by the NPP across the constituency is a ‘By-election Gala’ and has the potential to the influence the verdict of a court.”
He added that “This comment is rather unfortunate and unbefitting of a constituency chairman, but we know the NDC flourishes on lies and propaganda, and has made lying its habit and therefore resorts to it anytime it is faced with the reality.
Read FULL statement below.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP), Assin North constituency has taken notice of a write up and its accompanying audio by Felix Benefo, the NDC constituency chairman in Assin North.
In the said write up or audio, Mr Benefo issued a stern warning to the NPP in Assin North constituency over what he claims is a ‘By-election Gala’ organized by the constituency party during the Easter break.
According to the NDC chairman, the so called By-election Gala is an attempt by NPP constituency party to influence the court in the ongoing trial of the case involving Mr. Michael Ankomah-Ninfa, a private citizen and resident of Assin Bereku challenging the elegibility of Hon. James Quayson at the time of filing his nomination to contest as a Parliamentary candidate on the ticket of the NDC in the Constituency in the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
Frankly, we would never have accorded them the dignity of responding to this write up or audio as we believe the piece is hollow in content.
However, we are tempted to rebut this claim because of the danger this grand deception may have in the minds of the good people of Assin North and deal with the content for what it is worth.
EASTER FOOTBALL GALA COMPETITION
Only persons with infantile and warped logic would come to a conclusion that a football gala organized by the NPP across the constituency is a ‘By-election Gala’ and has the potential to the influence the verdict of a court.
This comment is rather unfortunate and unbefitting of a constituency chairman, but we know the NDC flourishes on lies and propaganda, and has made lying its habit and therefore resorts to it anytime it is faced with the reality.
To set the records straight and for the benefit of the good people of Assin North and the general public, the Easter Football Gala Competition organized by the NPP and was very successful is part of a broad action plan by the Constituency Party from January 2021 and beyond.
This Competition during Easter festivities is to have fun and energize the base of the party across the Constituency.
This Competition has been taken place since 2017. The NDC is aware that even in 2019 the NPP in the Assin North Constituency organized this event, put together a team and played against a premier league select side during Easter at Assin Bereku.
The Constituency Party could not organize the competition last year because of the COVID 19 pandemic and its related ban on all sporting activities in the Country. We believe a serious political Party should not be active only in election year but at all times to serve the people.
It is however strange that the mere organization of the Competition this year will send shock waves in the camp of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) in Assin North Constituency and merit a press conference. They can decide to stay idle or continue to erect irrelevant signboards and posters.
THE COURT CASE
With regards to the ongoing petition at the Cape Coast high Court in which Mr Ankomah-Nimfa averred that at the time Hon. James Quayson filed his nomination to contest as the Parliamentary candidate of the NDC in Assin North, he was still holding onto his Canadian citizenship, we believe the responsible, appropriate and democratic means of determining the eligibility of Mr James Quayson at the time of filing his nomination is by resort to the courts.
Maybe the NDC in Assin North Constituency led by Mr. Benefo is not well-informed and is completely ignorant about the issues in Court.
When did the NPP become a party to the suit?
In case they have forgotten, the petitioner is a private citizen and a resident at Assin Bereku and the respondents are Hon. James Gyekye Quayson and the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
The assertion to also link the Football Gala to the Court’s verdict is unfortunate and an insult to the Cape Coast high Court and the trial judge.
Is Mr. Benefo saying that the Cape Coast high Court and the trial judge haven’t got the professional competence to adjudicate the case and would be swayed by activities that go on in the Constituency?
The NPP in Assin North is greatly confident that due process will prevail and the court will deal with the matter in accordance with the rule of law.
INSULTS, INTIMIDATION AND THREATS
We thought the process used by Mr Michael Ankomah-Ninfa to file a petition in the court ought to have put to bed the many cases of insults, intimidation and threats that have been the preferred path of the NDC in the constituency, but if they still want to chat that path then we are ready.
Is the NDC issuing these threats and making those fake claims because of the fear of the unknown or that fact that they have bad case and therefore sounding the alarm bell?
We will always expose the NDC with facts and figures to counter the falsehood peddled.
Maybe the NDC should prepare to give more names to our various activities we are yet to roll out in the constituency.
We will further state that if they have any energy left, then that can be used to locate the whereabout of their constituency pink sheets which they could not provide to the leadership of their party when needed at the supreme Court.
The NPP in Assin North Constituency urges the general public and the constituents of Assin North to disregard this misinformation by the NDC and circulating on social media.
