Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson, has lost his seat over dual citizenship. This follows a declaration by Cape Coast High Court in the Central Region of Ghana.
The Cape Coast High Court has declared the 2020 parliamentary election held in the Assin North Constituency as null and void.
The court has therefore ordered for a new election to be conducted in the constituency.
This ruling was given on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, by the court presided over by Justice Kwasi Boakye.
In his judgement, Justice Boakye upheld that, the National Democratic Congress’ parliamentary candidate for the constituency, James Gyakye Quayson breached the provisions of the constitution with regard to dual citizenship.
On December 30, 2020, a resident of Assin North, Mr Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, filed a parliamentary election petition at the Cape Coast High Court challenging the eligibility of Mr Quayson to be a Member of Parliament.
He contended that the MP was not eligible on the basis that at the time he (Quayson) filed his nomination to contest as a parliamentary candidate, he was still a citizen of Canada.
Such an act, he argued, was against the express provision of Article 94 (2) (a) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 9(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1992 (PNDCL 284).
Among other reliefs, the applicant wanted the Cape Coast High Court to declare the nomination filed by Mr Quayson as “illegal, void and of no legal effect”
