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Sheer opulence, vote-buying caused NPP’s defeat in Assin North – Mussa Dankwah
Executive Director of Global Info Analytics, Mussa .K. Dankwah, has outlined major causes that led to the defeat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Assin North by-election.
The pollster prior to the election disclosed that, per their latest poll, the New Patriotic Party’s candidate Charles Opoku was leading by a slight margin.
During an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Mussa Dankwah said sheer opulence exhibited by some of the NPP members, vote-buying amongst other factors led to the party’s defeat.
“It was a combination of many factors: the perception that they are persecuting James Gyakye Quayson, the fact that they left development projects in Kumawu [uncompleted],and they hurriedly came to Assin North and another factor was the sheer opulence and sprinkling of money in the constituency. It made some people very angry,” the pollster told sit-in host of Eyewitness News, Nii Larte Lartey, on Wednesday.
He further highlighted the reasons Charles Opoku lost the election and explained that majority of his demography didn’t vote especially strongholds of the NPP.
“James Gyakye won the people who were undecided, most of them, and Charles Opoku lost grounds to Quayson on the basis that his demography didn’t come out to vote, especially strongholds of NPP such as Kushea and Breku, where they were hoping to win, but they didn’t. These are the reasons James Gyakye Quayson outperformed,” he stated.
Mr. Quayson polled 17,245 votes representing 57.56%, while Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) received 12,630 votes, representing 42.15% after the by-election on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
The Liberal Party of Ghana’s (LPG) candidate, Sefenu Bernice Enyonam, garnered a paltry 87 votes, representing 0.29%.
The by-election became necessary after Gyakye Quayson was kicked out of Parliament for having dual citizenship prior to filing his forms to contest in the 2020 elections in the Assin North constituency.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Dancehall musician Shatta Wale has issued a strong public statement calling for an end to what he describes as continuous attacks on his brand, following an apology from media commentator Awal Mohammed.
In the statement, Shatta Wale acknowledged the apology but stressed that persistent criticism and what he sees as deliberate attempts to damage his image must stop.
He noted that for many years, he has spoken for the streets, the youth, and people who feel ignored by society, while also promoting Ghana on the global stage and creating jobs through his work.
He expressed concern that some media personalities, commentators, and influential figures continue to target his name unfairly.
According to him, the issue goes beyond music and touches on respect, fairness, and national maturity.
The musician warned that continued disrespect toward voices that represent ordinary people could have wider consequences.
He emphasised that the Shatta Movement remains strong and organized, and that the patience of the masses should not be taken for granted.
He added that if systems continue to fail the people, they have the ability to organize politically through numbers and truth, not violence or hate.
Shatta Wale clarified that his message was not a threat but a reminder of reality, stressing that attacking a symbol that represents millions of people can have social, cultural, and democratic effects.
He called for respect, fairness, and unity, saying the voice of the people will always rise.
The statement comes after Awal Mohammed recently described Shatta Wale fans during a public discussion as junkies.
The comments triggered backlash from fans of the musician, prompting Awal to later issue an apology.
By: Jacob Aggrey
