James Gyakye Quayson, the troubled Member of Parliament for Assin North, will lose his seat as a result of a unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court.
The National Democratic Congress MP’s name ought to be struck from the records of Parliament, according to the supreme court.
This comes after the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding a request to exercise its original jurisdiction over the constitutionality of James Gyakye Quayson’s election.
The decision of the Supreme Court’s seven-member panel prohibits Mr. Quayson from identifying himself as a member of parliament.
Mr. Quayson was on trial for counts of perjury, making a false statutory declaration with knowledge, deceiving a public official, forging a passport, and making a false declaration.
Gyakye Quayson was barred from holding office as an MP in Ghana due to his citizenship as a citizen of Canada, the High Court in Cape Coast ruled, and the plaintiff, Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, filed the application as a result.
The plaintiff sought relief by invoking the original jurisdiction, arguing that Gyakye Quayson’s eligibility to run for office in 2020 and his subsequent election were both illegal under the true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution.
A group calling itself “Concerned Citizens of Assin North” petitioned the Central Region of the Electoral Commission in November 2020 to have Mr. Quayson’s candidacy withdrawn on the grounds that he owed allegiance to Canada.
In the Assin North constituency for the 2020 elections, James Gyakye Quayson, who ran on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress, received 17,498 votes representing (55.21%), while Abena Durowaa Mensah, the New Patriotic Party’s candidate, received 14,193 votes representing (44.79%).
Meanwhile, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is willing to do everything within its power to break the 8 in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
Speaking to some NPP faithfuls, Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia reiterated that the NPP will surely break the 8.
According to him, he’s 100% convinced that the NPP will defeat the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer elect Mr. John Dramani Mahama in 2024 elections because they know how to beat him already.
Dr. Bawumia therefore called on the party faithfuls to work together as one people in order to make this dream possible.
