Cape Coast Court  Orders Another Election In Assin North

Fresh election to be held in Assin North Constituency declared by Cape Coast High Court presided over by Justice Kwasi Boakye.

Cape Coast Court  Orders Another Election In Assin North
Joe Gyaakye Quayson

Cape Coast High Court presided over by Justice Kwasi Boakye has given judgement by the way of ordering for fresh parliamentary election in the Assin North constituency.

The court declared the 2020 parliamentary election held in the Assin North Constituency null and void.

This ruling was given on Wednesday, July 28, 2021.

In his judgement, Justice Boakye upheld that, the National Democratic Congress’ parliamentary candidate for the constituency, Joe Gyaakye Quayson was “restrained from holding himself out as Member of Parliament-elect for the Assin North constituency within the Central Region of the Republic of Ghana and further presenting himself to be sworn in as Member of Parliament-elect as such until the final determination of the petition.”

The ruling means that the NDC’s seats in parliament have dropped to 135 as against the NPP’s 137 until a by-election is held to determine who wins the seat.

Michael Ankomah-Nimfa, a resident of Assin Bereku in the Central Region, filed a petition at the Cape Coast High Court seeking to annul the declaration of James Gyakye Quayson as the MP for Assin North constituency.

The petitioner in his case stated that, at the time the MP was filing to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections, he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship and thus held dual nationality.

He avers, at the close of nominations on October 9, 2020, the Assin MP had not still renounced his Canadian nationality and such act is a complete violation of Article 94 (2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution which states, “A person shall not be qualified to be a member of Parliament if he or she – (a) owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana.”

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), had insisted that their MP is “a full citizen of Ghana who owes no allegiance whatsoever to any other country.

 He is a Ghanaian in law and in fact and qualifies to be a Member of Parliament according to the laws of Ghana.”

The 2020 Election Results for Assin-North Constituency was as follows.

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1. Nana Akufo-Addo = 16, 067 (50.81%)

2. John D. Mahama = 15, 014 (47.48%)

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1. James Gyakye Quayson (NDC) = 17, 498 representing 55.21%

2. Abena Durowaa Mensah (NPP)= 14,193 representing 44.79%