The people of Assin North constituency have been denied a representation in Parliament following the Supreme Court ruling ordering the Member of Parliament (MP), James Gyekye Quayson from holding himself as an MP, a member of the legal team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Abraham Amaliba, has said.
The Supreme Court by a majority decision of 5-2 on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, ordered him to stop holding himself as a lawmaker.
Justices Agnes Dordzie and Nene Amegatcher dissented while Prof. Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkornoo, and Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi voted in favour.
Speaking in an interview with TV3’s Komla Adom on the Mid Day news, Mr Amaliba said “The people of Assin North have been denied a representation in Parliament and that is not democracy.”
Regarding whether or not the NDC will file for a review of the decision, he said “We are weighing our options, we are meeting today to determine the next line of action.”
Meanwhile, the Attorney General, Mr Godfred Dame has said that Mr James Gyekye Quayson must suffer the fate of former New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Bawku Adamu Dramani Sakande.
Mr Adamu Sakende was sentenced to two years imprisonment after he was found guilty of false declaration of office, perjury and deceiving a public officer.
He was sentenced on three counts of perjury, false declaration and deceit of a public officer. He contested the Bawku seat even though he had not conclusively denounced his UK Citizenship.
Speaking to the press after the court proceedings on Wednesday, April 13, Mr Godfred Dame said ” think that there ought to be even application of the law, there ought to be an equal application of the law, the same fate that befell Adamu Sakande who was not qualified at the time that nominations were opened and we all know what happened to him. Subsequently, they declared him ineligible and his seat was taken away so there ought to be even application of the law.”
A Cape Coast High Court, presided over by Justice Coram Kwasi Boakye, had earlier ruled that Mr Gyakye Quayson was not eligible to contest the December 7, 2020, Parliamentary Elections because he bore dual citizenship before picking nomination forms from the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC).
Fresh elections were, as a result, ordered to be conducted while Mr Gyakye Quayson was asked to cease holding himself as MP.
But the man accused of having Canadian and Ghanaian citizenship allegedly goes to Parliament to join in proceedings.
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana