Ghana’s Supreme Court has in a unanimous decision ordered Parliament to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson from its records as a Member of Parliament.
The apex court presided over by Justice Jones Dotse ruled that the Electoral Commission (EC) acted unconstitutionally in allowing the embattled Assin North MP to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections without proof of him renouncing his Canadian Citizenship.
Top news parliamentary Correspondent Yesmeen Abubakar Tetteh said, the plaintiff, Michael Ankomah-Nimfah filed the application after securing a judgment at the High Court in Cape Coast injuncting Gyakye Quayson from holding himself as MP after the court ruled that by being a Canadian citizen, he was not qualified to contest as an MP in Ghana.
The suit also prayed the court to rule that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) of the Constitution, 1992 of Ghana at the time Mr Quayson filed his nomination form in October 2020 to contest the 2020 Parliamentary elections for the Assin North Constituency, he was not qualified to contest as a member of Parliament.
The case heard by Justices Jones Dotse, Nene Amegatcher, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkonoo, Prof Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, Emmanuel Kulendi and Barbara Ackah Ayensu saw them reaching a unanimous decision that Mr Quayson was not qualified at the time of filing his nomination forms.
It further held that the EC allowing him to contest when he had not shown evidence of renunciation of his citizenship of Canada is unconstitutional.
It further declared that his election was unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect.
His swearing-in was equally declared to be unconstitutional with Parliament ordered to expunge his name from its records.
The ruling by the seven-member panel of the Supreme Court bars Mr Quayson from holding himself as a Member of Parliament.
