Supreme Court orders Parliament to expunge James Gyakye Quayson’s name from records – Skyy Power FM

James Gyakye Quayson’s name must be removed from Parliament’s records as a member of Parliament, according to a Supreme Court order.

On May 17, the presiding judge Justice Jones Dotse concluded that the Electoral Commission (EC) had broken the law by permitting him to run in the 2020 parliamentary elections without providing evidence that he had renounced his Canadian citizenship.

This relates to the lawsuit Michael Ankomah Nimfah, a constituent, brought.

Mr Nimfah had requested that the court rule that Mr Quayson was ineligible to run for office as a member of Parliament at the time he submitted his nomination form in October 2020 to run in the 2020 parliamentary elections for the Assin North Constituency, based on a true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) of the Ghanaian Constitution, 1992.

According to this clause of the constitution, a person who has allegiance to a nation other than Ghana is ineligible to serve as a member of parliament.

Mr Quayson was found to be ineligible at the time he submitted his candidacy paperwork, the court decided in a unanimous ruling.

Furthermore, it was determined that it was unlawful for the EC to permit him to contest while he had not provided proof of giving up his Canadian citizenship.

It further stated that his election was invalid, void, and without consequence.

His oath of office was also ruled to be invalid, and Parliament was instructed to remove his name from its files.

Justices Barbara Ackah Ayensu, Nene Amegatcher, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkonoo, Prof. Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, and Jones Dotse heard the case.