<<Print>>The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary nominee for the Abuakwa North Constituency in the Eastern Region, Anthony Osei Gyimah, is not a registered voter in the constituency.
This means he is not eligible to participate in the March 29 by-election, necessitated by the death of New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu.
The NDC on Wednesday announced it would not field any candidate in a statement signed by the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia. The party explained they simply opted out of the by-election because they were saddened by the circumstances surrounding the late MP’s death and would not want to be “beneficiaries” of the criminal act.
Their decision to withdraw came two days after the NPP elected a tutor of the Akosombo International School, Gifty Twum Ampofo, to lead the party in the March 29 by-election.
But Citi News’ reliable sources have confirmed that the NDC Parliamentary candidate is not a registered voter in the constituency, and therefore could not have contested in the by-election
This may be the probable reason why the party pulled out of the race.
The constitution requires that a parliamentary candidate must be a registered voter in the constituency he/she intends to contest.
So what happens?
It appears the party is banking its hopes on the Electoral Commission’s upcoming limited voters’ registration exercise, to get the candidate registered for the November polls.
When the NDC candidate, Anthony Osei Gyimah was called by Citi News for confirmation, he was evasive and could not give a definite answer, except to say that his only interest is to contest in the November elections.
A semblance of the Zanetor Rawlings case?
It appears the NDC Candidate-elect for Abuakwa North, is in the same situation as Dr. Zanetor Agyemang Rawlings, the party’s parliamentary nominee for the Klottey Korle Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, whose eligibility is being challenged in court because she is not a registered voter.
The NDC’s incumbent MP, Nii Armah Ashietey is seeking to nullify her election as candidate on the grounds that she is not a registered voter in the constituency.