Pollster and Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch, Ben Ephson, has said if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) decides to maintain the embattled Assin North MP James Gyakye Quayson, it is likely , they will win a by-election.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Tuesday, the pollster said the NDC will win the by-election because of what he describes as ‘sympathy votes’.
“The upcoming Assin North by-election, given the hung nature of the parliament, one seat is important. Assin North in 2020 had about 40,000 registered voters and the NDC won the seat with 2,705 votes and so this tells you that the constituency is a very fluid one.
“NDC can play two games, they are still waiting for the substantive ruling of the Assin court case and when it comes, they may decide to appeal or not and so if the seat is declared vacant, they may decide to present Gyakye Quayson bearing in mind criminal proceedings have begun against him and because a person is innocent until proven guilty, the NDC will present him and they can take the seat again with likelihood of sympathy votes,” he said.
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To him, when Mr Quayson loses the criminal case, the NDC can go ahead and appeal at the Supreme Court.
He indicated it won’t be much of news if NDC retains the seat unlike the NPP who to him will try their best to win the seat.
The Supreme Court has barred the Assin North MP from holding himself out as lawmaker for the area following an legibility challenge by a constituent.
The court in an unanimous decision barred the MP from holding himself as the MP till the case against him is determined.
The Cape Coast High Court in the Central Region had declared the 2020 parliamentary election held in the Assin North Constituency as null and void because Mr Quayson breached the provisions of the constitution with regard to dual citizenship.
Mr Quayson has subsequently appealed the judgment, at the Court of Appeal in Cape Coast.