According to the Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, the party is yet to decide on joining the race in the Ejisu by-elections.
He said the NDC is still in mourning with the “biological family” of the deceased MP, the late John Kumah, former deputy minister of finance.
Speaking to Alfred Ocansey on Ghana Tonight, on Thursday, April 4, Gbande said, “We believe that the death of honourable John Kumah is untimely, painful, and sorrowful.”
He further cited the circumstances surrounding the demise of Mr. John Kumah, indicating that the alleged cause of death of the NPP MP must be looked into rather than a rush to replace the honourable minister.
“Circumstances surrounding his death raise some suspicion among even government and NPP party functionaries, purporting that there was some poison and all of that.
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“Because where these things are coming from good and senior members of the NPP, we in the NDC believe that his death, his surviving children, and his biological family. The NDC national chairman has said that we should mourn honourable John Kumah,” he stated.
“We will continue to mourn to respect the departed soul of our brother. We have not yet taken a decision whether or not we will contest in that by-election. At the appropriate time, I believe that leadership will take that decision,” said Mustapha Gbande.
Some political watchers believe that the Ejisu seat has been an NPP seat, so the NDC does not stand a chance of snatching it. It will be economically prudent to avoid spending on the Ejisu by-elections a few months before the national polls.
According to election data, the NDC has not secured 20 percent of total votes from the Ejisu constituency since 2012 for presidential and parliamentary elections.
But Mr. Gbande emphasised the party will decide in the coming days.
“We believe that those are early days, we respect the researchers and the pollsters similar issues were said in Assin-North, but we won,” he told Alfred Ocansey, stressing that even members of the governing NPP are fed up with untold economic hardships in the country and would vote for the NDC come December 7.
Meanwhile, nine interested NPP members in the Ejisu Constituency have picked and filed their nominations to contest the parliamentary candidature for the party ahead of the December 7 polls. The NPP has set Saturday, April 6, to vet the parliamentary candidate hopefuls.