A lecturer with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has forecasted victory for the ousted Member of Parliament with for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson in the upcoming by-elections in the constituency.
The lecturer, Prof. Aboagye Dacosta added that he disagrees with the Supreme Court’s ruling on expunging Gyake Quayson’s name from the records of parliament.
Prof. Aboagye suggested that the Supreme Court could have reconsidered the case in favour of Gyakye Quayson because he was already working on renouncing his Canadian citizenship and was due to get the results within six months but the process delayed after COVID-19 struck.
The lecturer who was speaking on the Oyerepa Breakfast Show said that “He (Gyakye Quayson) had applied to renounce his Canadian citizenship but wasn’t successful due to the strike of COVID-19. So, I think the court should have considered this and that’s why I disagree with the ruling but I accept the decision.”
He further said that the country is only wasting money in conducting by-elections in Assin North because the ousted MP will return to parliament.
“The bottom line is, we are only wasting money on the upcoming by-elections because he is returning to parliament. He is going to win and he is coming back to parliament.
“I don’t know what NPP is doing in the constituency because they are going to lose. The love of the people of Assin North has risen to a higher level and they are going to stick with him. He will garner more than the over 17,000 votes he got in 2020,” he added.
On May 17, the Supreme Court directed Parliament to remove James Gyakye Quayson's name as a Member of Parliament. The apex court ruled that Quayson was ineligible to assume the role of an MP as he did not qualify at the time he contested the 2020 election. The court's detailed reasoning behind the decision will be made available on June 7, 2023.
Currently, Mr. Quayson is facing multiple criminal charges, including deceit of a public officer (contrary to section 251 (b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29), forgery of a passport or travel certificate (contrary to section 15 (1)(b) of the Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967, NLCD 155), knowingly making a false statutory declaration (in contravention of the Statutory Declarations Act, 1971, Act 389), perjury (as per section 210 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29), and false declaration for office (against section 248 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29).
The Supreme Court issued this order in response to a writ filed by Michael Ankomah-Nimfa, seeking the court's interpretation of Article 94 Clause 2a of the 1992 Constitution, which addresses the eligibility of a person to contest as a Member of Parliament in Ghana.
Meanwhile, watch a preview of The Lowdown interview with Kojo Bonsu below:
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