The parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Okaikwei North constituency, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, has expressed optimism that her victory in court, regarding the challenge against her eligibility to vote in the constituency, strengthens her bid to reclaim the seat for the NPP.
She said the court’s decision to dismiss the challenge is a significant boost in her spirited agenda to return to Parliament on January 7, 2024, “this time on the ticket of Okaikwei North, the area where I grew up.”
Since she decided to contest the Okaikwei North seat, Nana Ama Dokua acknowledged that “a lot of obstacles have been placed in my way, including the vandalism of my posters, disruptions of my engagements with the electorate, and a legal challenge, just to frustrate my efforts. But the more encumbrances they put in my way, the more the electorate welcomes me with open arms.”
Nana Ama Dokua made it clear that she was not going to rest on her laurels but would work hard until the last vote is counted and she is declared the new MP for Okaikwei North on December 7, 2024.
“I, therefore, humbly invite the electorate on this journey of hard work, understanding of their needs, and a sweet but hard-fought victory on December 7, 2024.”
It is recalled that the Achimota District Court in Accra has cleared any doubts about the eligibility of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Okaikwei North, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, as a qualified voter in the constituency.
Last Thursday, the court dismissed a petition challenging the eligibility of Nana Ama Dokua to vote in the constituency, clearing any obstacles in her way to reclaim the battleground seat for the NPP.
The petition, filed by Kingsley Anyamasah, believed to be a relative of the sitting NDC MP, Theresa Awuni, during the recent voter exhibition exercise, questioned Nana Ama Dokua’s eligibility to vote in Okaikwei North.
This was seen by many political observers as a move by the NDC to thwart the sitting Akropong MP’s bid for the Okaikwei North seat.
In 2023, Nana Ama Dokua decided not to seek re-election in the Akropong constituency for personal reasons and instead contested the primary in Okaikwei North, where she grew up, winning decisively.
She defeated Fuseini Issah, a former MP, Kenneth Kuranchie, a serial contender in the constituency, and the highly rated Afia Akoto of MASLOC.
Mr. Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader and counsel for Nana Ama Dokua, expressed satisfaction with the court’s ruling.
“The case against Nana Ama Dokua has been dismissed. She is the legitimate parliamentary candidate for the NPP in Okaikwei North,” he told the media following the ruling.
The court ruling deepens the challenges facing the opposition parliamentary candidate and incumbent MP, Theresa Awuni, whose agenda has been to prevent Nana Ama Dokua from contesting the seat, thereby making it easier for her to retain the seat.
Other political watchers in the constituency believe the challenge was a mere political gimmick and strategy to cast doubt on Nana Ama Dokua’s eligibility ahead of the crucial December 7 polls. They explained that the documentation supporting the challenge was laughable, as it did not have serious grounds to disqualify a parliamentary candidate but rather aimed to mislead the electorate into thinking that Nana Ama Dokua does not have ties to Okaikwei North.
Others have pointed out that the lack of substantive evidence backing Kingsley Anyamasah’s objection was indicative of a political stunt aimed at clearing the way for Theresa Awuni’s re-election in December.
The NDC’s political maneuver became evident when the challenger failed to establish his capacity to initiate action against Nana Ama Dokua, as requested by the counsel for the NPP candidate. Based on Anyamasah’s failure to do so, the court dismissed his petition.
Charles Amartey, a resident of Agbofu in the constituency, stated that the coming days promise a fierce campaign in the battleground of Okaikwei North, where Nana Ama Dokua has made significant inroads in recent weeks.
He said, “The showdown will be close, but it looks like Nana Ama Dokua will reclaim the seat for the NPP.”
