Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has revealed that the NDC strategically placed Independent Candidate Dr. Karl Mark Arhin as a backup to contest the Amenfi Central seat when the court hearing on Joana Gyan Cudjoe’s candidacy delayed.
The Electoral Commission (EC) disqualified Cudjoe from the parliamentary race due to a pending lawsuit against her candidacy. The commission emphasised that it was bound by the existing court order in making its decision. The NDC in response contested the EC’s decision in court, which they prevailed.
Addressing NDC party faithfuls at a mini rally in Kyeikrom within the Amenfi Central constituency, Nketia disclosed that bringing Dr Arhin into the contest was to maintain the NDC’s presence in the constituency.
According to Nketiah, the NDC believed that the New Patriotic Party(NPP) was responsible for the extended court proceedings thus their decision to bring in Arhin to destroy the NPP’s chance of success in the constituency.
“In our party, it’s unheard of for someone to run as an independent, but we made an exception this time. Our national executives decided to support Dr. Karl Mark Arhin’s independent candidacy due to the prolonged court processes. We believed the NPP was behind the delays, thinking that without Joana Gyan Cudjoe, we wouldn’t have a candidate in the constituency, giving them an easy win for the first time since 1992.”
“To counter this, we strategically placed Dr Arhin as a backup option to challenge the NPP. This decision wasn’t taken lightly, and we acknowledge it’s unconventional, but we didn’t see it as a crime. It was a deliberate move to ensure our party’s presence in the constituency,” he stated.
Dr Arhin at the mini rally openly endorsed Joana Gyan Cudjoe. He announced that he was stepping down from the parliamentary race where he was contesting as an Independent Candidate. He pledged his support and urged constituents to rally behind Cudjoe referring to her as the ‘landlady’.
Reports indicate that Dr Arhin has been in the camp of the NDC serving as the party’s Deputy Director of International Relations.
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