President Akufo-Addo has taken a swipe at the independent candidate in the Ejisu by-election, Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, a former MP who served on the ticket of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the constituency.
The three-time Ejisu MP is said to have alleged that the NPP is planning to rig the by-election to retain the late John Kumah’s seat.
However, in a sharp rebuttal, President Akufo-Addo cautioned the independent candidate to desist from resorting to lies in his quest for a comeback.
Speaking at the NPP’s final rally ahead of the by-election scheduled for Tuesday, April 30, the President said he is indifferent about the former NPP MP’s decision to sever ties with the party.
He further asked Ejisu electorates to disregard any of his claims.
“In 2008, when he defeated the incumbent MP, who was even a Cabinet Minister, did the NPP rig the elections for him? So why does he now allege that we will rig the elections just because he has been defeated by someone else? Is this fair?” he asked.
The President also took on invisible individuals or groups whom he alleged were manipulating Mr Owusu Aduomi.
He said they would fail in their bid to claim the seat from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“We oppose any independent candidate whose background is unknown to us. We’re uncertain if influential figures are influencing their decisions. We refuse to accept this. It’s not something we’ll tolerate.”
The President, therefore, urged the electorate of Ejisu to go out in their numbers and vote for the NPP candidate, Kwabena Boateng.
According to him, it is only the party’s candidate who can lobby development for the constituency.
Again, he emphasised the need for the party to have a majority in Parliament.
“We require a parliamentary majority. You’ve witnessed the challenges we face due to our current numbers in Parliament.
“Therefore, even if it’s just by one vote, we must secure a majority to fulfil our mandate. And that decisive vote rests with Kwabena Boateng,” he said.
Meanwhile, the camp of Kwabena Owusu-Aduomi, in wrapping up their campaign, is going through the streets of Ejisu convincing electorates to vote for their candidate.