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Dr. Karl Mark Arhin, one of the two independent candidates in the Amenfi Central parliamentary race, has withdrawn his candidacy to support Joana Gyan Cudjoe of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who he will now assist as her campaign manager.
Dr. Arhin, who contested but lost in the NDC’s initial primaries, made this decision just days after the Sekondi High Court cleared Joana Gyan Cudjoe to contest, lifting the earlier injunction that had barred her candidacy.
Speaking at a rally in Kyeikrom on November 16, attended by NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Dr. Arhin explained that he had only served as a caretaker candidate for the NDC in light of Cudjoe’s legal challenges. He urged voters to support her following her clearance by the court.
“I only went in to contest as an independent candidate in the absence of Joana Gyan Cudjoe but she has come. I therefore encourage you all to vote for her as she is the right person for the constituency now. I and my household are going to vote for her, so let’s all vote for her and John Dramani Mahama. I’m no more a candidate despite my picture being on the ballot“, he said.
The National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, while commending Dr. Karl Mark Arhin said he has not broken any party rules since it is the party that forced him to contest as an independent candidate following the court wrangling that nearly denied the NDC a candidate.
“It is the NDC party executives that sat to plant this independent candidate to ensure that the NDC have one of their own to vote for looking at how the NPP was hiding behind some people to deny the NDC representation in the parliamentary election with the court case.
“So Dr. Karl Mark Arhin has not breached any party regulation and on the day of the court injunction vacation, we called Karl to thank him and told him to step aside and rather become her campaign manager,” he explained.
Joana Gyan Cudjoe who is NDC’s Amenfi Central Candidate thanked Dr. Karl Mark Arhin and the NDC supporters.
She further promised to work with him and all to ensure that she retains the Amenfi Central seat for the NDC.
“Today is a happy day and all I want to tell Amenfi Central and Ghana is that we thank all of you. This is because we survived what we went through with the help of God. Let’s remember on the election day that my position on the ballot paper is two. Vote for me and John Mahama.”
source: citinewsroom
Rafiq Adam
Emmanuel Mensah
