In a sound democracy, the opposition is able to win by-elections – Bentil

A Vice President of Imani Africa Mr Kofi Bentil has said that Ghana’s democracy is sound hence an opposition party is able to win a by-election.

Commenting on the victory of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Assin North byelection which took place on Tuesday, June 27, he said “In a sound democracy, the opposition is able to win by-elections. Well done NDC! #ProudToBeGhanaian. Now can somebody stop that shameful prosecution, it never should have started !!”

During the by-election, the NDC’s candidate Mr Gyakye Quayson beat Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) to reclaim the seat.

His votes margin as compared to the 2020 results is over 1,300. In that election, Mr Gyakye Quayson polled 17,498 votes to beat NPP’s Abena Durowaa Mensah, who polled 14,193.

Mr Gyakye Quayson, who was declared invalidly elected in 2020 by a Supreme Court judgement, will return to take his seat in Parliament.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commended the Electoral Commission (EC) for a successful by-election in Assin North.

In a statement, he said that Ghana’s democratic credentials were strengthened even further following the conduct of peaceful and credible elections in the Assin North by-election.

“I congratulate warmly the Chairperson and Members of the Electoral Commission, again, for a job well-done. The security services are to be commended for maintaining law and order during the holding of the elections; as is the media for providing extensive coverage before, during and after the elections.

“I congratulate the National Democratic Congress on its victory yesterday. I urge members of my party, the New Patriotic Party, to keep their heads up, recognizing that, in a democracy, there are winners and losers, and that we live to fight another day. We once held the Assin North seat, and I am confident that, sooner rather than later, Assin North will be blue again.”