The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has responded to the recent press statement issued by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on June 4, 2023, which alleged that the NPP is collaborating with the Electoral Commission (EC) to transfer and insert the name of one Charles Opoku into the Voters Register of the Assin North Constituency.

According to the NDC's National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, the NPP is “in cahoots with their collaborators in the Electoral Commission to transfer and insert the name of one Charles Opoku, into the Voters Register of the Assin North Constituency.”

The NPP, however, strongly denies these claims made by the NDC, describing them as “spurious” and “baseless” with the intention to mislead the Ghanaian public and pre-emptively lay the groundwork for their expected defeat in the Assin North by-election.

In a statement released by the NPP, they clarified the situation and addressed the allegations. The party emphasized the following points:

“The NPP emphatically debunks the allegations that the Party ‘is in a plot to illegally insert the name of an unqualified NPP Parliamentary Candidate into the Assin North Register'.” The NPP asserts that it has always prioritized maintaining Ghana's position as a pacesetter of multiparty democracy, including upholding the independence of democratic institutions such as the Electoral Commission. Thus, the party categorically denies engaging in any acts that could jeopardize the democratic progress of the nation.

The NPP clarifies that they currently have no Parliamentary Candidate for Assin North. They state that they have not yet held Parliamentary Primaries in the Assin North Constituency to select their candidate for the by-election. Therefore, the NPP questions how the NDC is able to determine the NPP's Parliamentary Candidate ahead of time and make allegations of collusion with the EC to insert their name into the Assin North register.

The NPP seeks to provide the NDC with clarification on Article 94(1)(a) of the 1992 Constitution. They highlight that parliamentary candidates are not required to be registered in the constituency they wish to contest.

The NPP explains that the Constitution only necessitates that the candidate is a registered voter and hails from the constituency they seek to represent. The party emphasizes that its candidates for the by-election fulfil these requirements.

The NPP asserts its commitment to choosing a qualified and capable candidate who carries no legal baggage, unlike the NDC's candidate Mr James Gyakye Quayson, to represent the people of Assin North.