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An independent parliamentary candidate for Amenfi Central, Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, has withdrawn from this year’s parliamentary contest.
Mr Kwakye-Ackah, who is the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, announced this in a statement to reunite with the party to ensure victory for the party’s candidate, Joana Gyan Cudjoe.
He had originally decided to contest as an independent candidate after he lost in the primaries to Ms Cudjoe.
“I wish to let the good people of Amenfi Central and the general public know of my decision to withdraw my independent candidature from the 2024 Amenfi Central Parliamentary election forthwith,” the statement said.
The statement said the decision was informed by the ruling of the Sekondi High Court and the Electoral Commission to clear the NDC’s parliamentary candidate for next month's election.
“I believe that my reasons for filing to contest the election as an independent candidate are no longer tenable,” it said.
The statement said the interest of the party remained paramount and commended the party elders and other leading members who offered invaluable counsel that necessitated his decision to withdraw.
Executive members in the constituency welcomed the decision and maintained that the NDC remained the foremost democratic party in the country and always approached issues with a high level of maturity.
The Constituency Secretary, Fiifi N. Sangmoah, said although the party in the constituency had heard of it, it was yet to receive an official notification from the office of Mr Kwakye-Ackah.
He, however, said the party welcomed the decision and expressed the hope that Mr Ackah join “us in our campaign towards victory and reset the country”.
“We are focused and busy trying to step up our campaign for Ms Cudjoe and John Dramani Mahama, our presidential candidate,” he said.
Mr Kwakye-Ackah was among four MPs who were expelled from Parliament for crossing carpet.
The other three were the Agona West Member of Parliament (MP), Cynthia Morrison of the New Patriotic Party (NPP); Suhum MP, Kwadwo Asante of the NPP, and Fomena MP, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, an independent MP.
But the Supreme Court granted a restraining order on the Speaker regarding the execution of his verdict to declare the seats of the four MPs vacant for filing to contest the 2024 parliamentary election on tickets different from what they represent in the current Parliament.
