The Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Mustapha Gbande has alleged that the New Patriotic Party has booked almost all hotels and guest houses in Assin North in the Central region ahead of the upcoming constituency by-election.

According to him, over 64 hotels have been booked by the NPP but no one is occupying the rooms.

This he said, has left some members of the NDC who are presently campaigning in the area stranded, compelling them to sleep with local sympathisers of the NDC in their homes.

Speaking to MyJoyOnline.com on the back of this development, Mr Gbande said he is appalled by the move by the NPP, especially when the party acknowledges that times are hard.

Expressing his reservations, he added that such wasteful practices will be probed by the next NDC regime after the 2024 general election.

"The situation is that the NPP have booked all hotels from Assin North, Assin South, Assin Central, up to New Edubiase; and those hotels remain empty. That is very shocking", Mr Gbande lamented.

"When government is complaining to the whole country that there's no money, suddenly, they found money to rent close to 64 hotels and nobody is sleeping in those hotels. It's worrying", the NDC national executive added.

Mr Gbande however, stated that the NDC are 'fighters', and therefore despite the scheme by the NPP, the party will still emerge victorious in the upcoming by-election in the area.

He added that, the party will not be distracted by the move; stressing also that the voters in Assin North identify with the good deeds of the NDC and therefore the schemes of the NPP will yield no results.

Both the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party are gunning for the vacant parliamentary seat.

The by-election was necessitated by a ruling of the Supreme Court, which declared the election of the sitting MP, James Gyakye Quayson, as null and void.

Accordingly, the apex court ordered Parliament to expunge his name from its records.

But the NDC says it still has confidence in Mr Gyakye Quayson and as such he will lead the party again to victory in the by-election scheduled for June 27, this year.

Meanwhile, the NPP says it will deploy all of its arsenal to snatch the seat from the NDC, in a manner similar to how it chalked victory in the Kumawu by-election last month.