The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), says the embattled Member of Parliament for Assin North in the Central Region, James Gyakye Quayson, remains the party’s most viable option should there be a by-election in the constituency.
According to the NDC, they are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that the party secures the needed victory in the constituency should the apex court rule against them in the ongoing case challenging the legitimacy of the incumbent.
Joshua Akamba, the National Organiser of the NDC, told Citi News the party has been working on the ground and is ready for any by-election.
“We will be very ready for a by-election if it happens. We have been working from the grounds, and we have committees to look at the grounds and give us feedback. The party will be very ready to go into any election. The candidate still stands a chance of winning. He is a strong force and that is why all these machinations are ongoing to get him out, but he is a strong force and I know that if he has to come, he will pull a surprise again and this time, he might even get massive support,” he said.
- Gyakye Quayson’s fate as Assin North MP will be decided by the Supreme Court next week
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The Supreme Court will on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, will rule on a motion seeking to stop James Gyakye Quayson from holding himself out as the MP for Assin North.
Michael Ankomah-Nimfa, a resident of Assin Bereku in the Central Region, filed a petition at the Cape Coast High Court seeking to annul the declaration of Mr. Quayson as the MP Assin North.
The Cape Coast High Court in the Central Region had declared the 2020 parliamentary election held in the Assin North Constituency as null and void because Mr. Quayson breached the provisions of the constitution with regard to dual citizenship.
Mr. Quayson subsequently appealed the judgment, at the Court of Appeal in Cape Coast, but the case was thrown out. He subsequently went to the Supreme Court for cover.
Article 94 (2) says a person shall not be qualified to be a member of Parliament if he owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana.
A group calling itself ‘Concerned Citizens of Assin North also petitioned the Electoral Commission in the Central Region to withdraw the candidature of Mr. Quayson, arguing that he owes allegiance to Canada.
