....We’ll support him to reclaim seat — NDC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has pledged to support embattled James Gyakye Quayson to reclaim the Assin North parliamentary seat anytime a by-election is held.

“The full weight of the party, including the Minority Caucus in Parliament, will be put behind Honourable Quayson so as to ensure an even more resounding victory for him in the upcoming by-election, the General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, said in a statement.

The statement also described the ruling as strange, and made reference to similar situations involving Messrs J.H. Mensah, Baba Jamal and Peter Amewu, where the “Supreme Court had stated that it did not have the jurisdiction to invalidate a parliamentary election and that the High Court was where such a matter should be taken”.

It added that even though there are “serious questions about the legitimacy of this decision after consultation with Mr Quayson, the leadership of the NDC wishes to state unequivocally that we are ready for the by-election that is now the result of this decision.”

Recall

The Supreme Court last Wednesday ruled that Parliament should expunge the name of Mr Quayson from its records.

This ruling was the outcome of a case brought before the Supreme Court, invoking its original jurisdiction to examine the constitutionality of Mr Quayson’s election.

Mr Quayson had been accused of holding dual citizenship prior to the 2020 election, an allegation he vehemently denied.

Per the ruling, Parliament is expected to declare the Assin North seat vacant with a by-election imminent.

The Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, in an earlier statement, insisted that “at the time of his election, Hon. James Gyakye Quayson was not a dual citizen, neither was he a dual citizen as at the time he took the oath of office as a Member of Parliament”.

“The intention of the framers of Ghana’s constitution is not to allow a dual citizen to perform the functions of Parliament.”