James Gyakye Quayson case: Supreme Court has vindicated us – NPP Director of Elections

Accra, May 17, 2023 – Evans Nimako, the Director of Elections for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has lauded the Supreme Court's ruling declaring the 2020 parliamentary election in Assin North null and void. Nimako believes that the court's decision vindicates the NPP's longstanding stance that James Gyakye Quayson was ineligible to hold the position of Member of Parliament due to his dual citizenship prior to the polls.

In a unanimous judgment on Wednesday, May 17, the Supreme Court ordered Ghana's Parliament to remove James Gyakye Quayson's name from its records as the Member of Parliament representing the Assin North constituency. The court upheld an application invoking its original jurisdiction to assess the constitutionality of Gyakye Quayson's election.

Speaking to Citi News' Court correspondent, Hanson Agyemang, Evans Nimako expressed satisfaction with the Supreme Court's ruling, stating that it supports the NPP's position on the matter. He added that the party would consult with its legal team to determine the next steps. Furthermore, if the Electoral Commission initiates the process, the NPP is prepared for a by-election in Assin North.

“We have consistently maintained that he [Mr. Quayson] was not qualified, and the Supreme Court has affirmed that. We will confer with our lawyers and decide on our next course of action,” Nimako stated.

Following the court hearing, Frank Davies, the lawyer for the plaintiff, also expressed appreciation for the court's orders, emphasizing that they align with the preservation of the constitution's sanctity.

Background:

In November 2020, a group known as the ‘Concerned Citizens of Assin North' petitioned the Electoral Commission in the Central Region to withdraw James Gyakye Quayson's candidacy, arguing that he owed allegiance to Canada.

During the 2020 polls, James Gyakye Quayson, standing as the parliamentary candidate for the National Democratic Congress, secured 17,498 votes (55.21%), while Abena Durowaa Mensah, the candidate from the New Patriotic Party, received 14,193 votes (44.79%) in the Assin North constituency.

Subsequently, Michael Ankomah-Nimfa, a teacher and resident of Yamoransa in the Central Region, filed a petition at the Cape Coast High Court seeking to invalidate the declaration of James Gyakye Quayson as the Member of Parliament for Assin North. The Cape Coast High Court upheld Ankomah-Nimfa's request, ruling that the 2020 parliamentary election in the Assin North Constituency was null and void due to Gyakye Quayson's violation of the constitutional provisions regarding dual citizenship.

Gyakye Quayson later appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal in Cape Coast. The matter was subsequently escalated to the Supreme Court.

In March 2020, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed James Gyakye Quayson's application to quash the Court of Appeal's decision not to refer Article 94(2)(a) to the Supreme Court for interpretation. The five-member panel, composed of Justices Gabriel Pwamang, Agnes Dordzie, Gertrude Torkornoo, Clemence Honyenuga, and Yonny Kulendi, also rejected another application by Gyakye Quayson for a stay of appeal proceedings at the Appellate Court and a referral of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution to the Supreme Court for interpretation.