President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made controversial statements during a campaign rally for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the Assin North by-election on June 27.

In his remarks, the president alleged that a parliamentary aspirant, who was facing criminal charges, would be imprisoned and urged voters to reject him.

Legal expert Martin Kpebu, while speaking on TV3 on July 1, criticized the president's comments, describing them as desperate and propagandist.

Kpebu emphasized that the president should not have involved himself in such claims under any circumstances.

“Akufo-Addo had no business going into the Gyakye Quayson trial.

It shows a man who was desperate and was clutching at straw… and it is good the good people of Assin North showed him that his propagandist style, his desperate move amounts to nothing.

“How can the president embarrass himself like that? As a lawyer as everybody has said it, in the past the president acquitted himself as an excellent lawyer but in the last two decades he has thrown everything away on the political platform,” Kpebu jabbed.

He accused Akufo-Addo of sacrificing his hard-earned reputation as a lawyer with the desire to come into and stay in office.

“Akufo-Addo has been shredding the reputation he has built over the years… One goof to the other, one goof to the other,” he added.

The Assin North by-election

In the case of the June 27 by-election in Assin North, the Electoral Commission's announced the NDC's James Gyakye Quayson as winner having garnered a total of 17,245 votes, representing 57.56% of the total votes cast.

His closest contender, Charles Opoku of the NPP received 12,630 votes, accounting for 42.15% of the votes.

Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party Ghana (LPG) secured 87 votes, which represented 0.29% of the overall tally.

The by-election in Assin North was held to fill the parliamentary seat left vacant following a legal battle that questioned Quayson's eligibility to hold office due to dual citizenship concerns.