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The Supreme Court of Ghana has instructed Parliament to erase James Gyakye Quayson from its records as a Member of Parliament.
The Presiding Judge Jones Dotse on Wednesday, May 17, decided that the Electoral Commission (EC) acted unconstitutionally in permitting him to contest the 2020 parliamentary races without confirmation of his disavowing his Canadian Citizenship.
This case was filed by a citizen of the constituency, Michael Ankomah Nimfah. Mr. Nimfah had requested that the court decide that upon a valid and legitimate translation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana at the time Mr. Quayson filed his nomination form in October 2020 to contest the 2020 Parliamentary race for the Assin North Constituency he was not eligible to contest as a Member of Parliament.
This arrangement of the constitution gives that an individual will not be able to be a Member of Parliament assuming he owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana.
In a unanimous decision by the court, it ruled that Mr. Quayson was not qualified at the time he filed for nomination to contest the Assin North seat.
It further stated that the EC permitting him to contest the Seat when he had not shown proof of renunciation of his citizenship of Canada is unlawful.
The court further pronounced that his Swearing-in was null, void, and of no effect.
His swearing-in was similarly pronounced to be unconstitutional with Parliament ordered to expunge his name from its records.
Seven Judges of the Supreme Court heard the case, they are; Jones Dotse, Nene Amegatcher, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkonoo, Prof Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, Emmanuel Kulendi, and Barbara Ackah Ayensu.
As declared, Mr. James Gyakye Quayson is not the MP-elect of the Assin North constituency.
