James Gyakye Quayson

James Gyakye Quayson (born 9 October 1952) is a Ghanaian politician who was elected to serve as the Member of Parliament for the Assin North constituency in the 2020 General Elections until his eligibility was challenged in a High Court.[1][2] Controversy: in violation of Article 92, Clause 2a of Ghana's constitution, "a person shall not be qualified to be a member of parliament if he owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana". In a ruling on Wednesday, 28th July 2021, a Cape Coast High Court presided over by Justice Kwasi Boakye declared the 2020 parliamentary election held in the Assin North constituency, null and void.[3] He was re-elected after a by-election in 2023.[4]

Hon.
James Gyakye Quayson
Member of the Ghana Parliament
for Assin North
Assumed office
7 January 2021
Preceded byAbena Durowaa Mensah
Personal details
Born (1952-10-09) 9 October 1952
Political partyNational Democratic Congress
Alma materMfantsipim School, York University
OccupationSocial Worker, Parliamentarian
CommitteesHouse
Local Government and Rural Development

Early life and education

Quayson hails from Assin Bereku in the Central Region of Ghana. He had his secondary education at the prestigious Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast, completing in 1969. He holds a bachelor's degree in Social Sciences (1996) and a master's degree in Urban Planning and Community Development (2015) from York University in Toronto, Canada.[5][6] He also holds BA General Arts with Majors in Political Science and Sociology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[7]

Career

Prior to being in parliament, he worked as a District Manager for the City of Toronto Employment and Social services from 2020.[5][6]

He is also a Social Services and Community Development Administrator and manager, as well as a framer.[8]

Politics

Gyakye Quayson is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and was the member of parliament for Assin North Constituency in the Central Region of Ghana.[5][6]

Challenge to membership of parliament

In December 2020, a resident of Assin Bereku, Michael Ankomah-Nimfah filed a petition at the Cape Coast High Court questioning the eligibility of Quayson's MPship for Assin North due he holding dual citizen of Canada and Ghana at the time he filed his papers at the Electoral Commission of Ghana to stand in the 2020 Ghanaian general election when nominations were closed on 9th October 2020.[9] According to the Ghanaian constitution, no person with dual nationality may hold office in government or parliament.[10] The court upheld the petition and ordered a by-election for Assin North constituency.[11] The by-election was held on the 27th of June, 2023.

Court proceedings

A Cape Coast High Court presided over by Justice Kwasi Boakye ordered fresh parliamentary elections to be conducted in the Assin North constituency after declaring the election null and void, Mr. Quayson went on to challenge the decision of the High Court at the Appeals Court in which his application was dismissed.[12]

Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, the plaintiff/applicant who filed an election petition against Mr. Quayson has initiated another action at The Supreme Court of Ghana requesting that, the court allows the Cape Coast High Court judgement to take effect as well as prevent further breach of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana by restraining him as member of parliament (MP)[13] since he continued to sit in parliament as MP and this was challenged within the house as well.[14][1]

On 13 April 2022, The Supreme Court by a 5-2 majority decision ruled that he should stop holding himself as a member of parliament.[15][16] He indicated his intention to contest the Supreme Court ruling by filing an application for The Supreme Court to review its own decision.[17][18][19] The Supreme Court set 13 June 2022 for the trial against Mr. Quayson after postponing his application review for restraining him to hold himself as MP and preventing him to attend Parliament to conduct business on behalf of the people of Assin North constituency.[20][21]

In a unanimous decision by The Supreme Court of Ghana consisting of Justices Jones Dotse, Nene Amegatcher, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkonoo, Prof Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, Emmanuel Kulendi and Barbara Ackah Ayensu, presiding Judge Justice Jones Dotse on 17 May 2023 ruled that the Electoral Commission of Ghana acted unconstitutionally by accepting the nomination of Mr. Quayson without proof of citizenship renunciation before contesting the 2020 parliamentary elections.[22][23] The Apex court outline four reasons for arriving at this decision in the case against Mr. James Gyakye Quayson[24] which didn't sit well with the minority, National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the defendant, Mr. Quayson expressing his disappointment at the court's decision.[25][26][27]

By-elections

In a letter to the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) on Monday, 29 May 2023, Parliament of Ghana declared the Assin North constituency seat vacant making way for a by-election.[28] The EC announced 27 June 2023 as the date for the by-election in Assin North constituency in a press statement on Wednesday, 31 May 2023 and nominations will be received from 12 to 14 June 2023.[29]

Mr. Quayson, in a statement on 1 June 2023, officially declared his intention to contest in the Assin North constituency by-election with support from his party, the National Democratic Congress.[30][31][32][33] On 27th June 2023, Mr. Quayson won the Assin North constituency by-election with 17, 245 votes, constituting 57.56% of votes cast. This figure indicates a significant reduction of his votes obtained in the 2020 general election, which was 17,498 votes representing 55.21%.

James Gyakye Quayson, after emerging victorious in the by-election was sworn in for the second time as the Member of Parliament for Assin North on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.[4]

Committees

Hon. Gyakye Quayson was a member of the House Committee and also a member of the Local Government and Rural Development Committee.[5]

Personal life

James Gyakye Quayson is a Christian.[5]

References
  1. "James Quayson runs to Appeals Court to freeze his removal as Assin North MP". Citi Newsroom. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  2. "James Gyakye Quayson, Biography". Ghana Web. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  3. "Cape Coast court orders another election in Assin North". GhanaWeb. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  4. "Gyakye Quayson sworn-in as MP for Assin North". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  5. "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  6. "James Gyakye Quayson, Biography". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  7. "James Gyakye Quayson, Biography". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  8. "James Gyakye Quayson, Biography". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  9. "EC opens nominations for 2020 polls; presidential filing fee pegged at GHS100,000". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  10. "Assin North MP's case: Cape Coast High Court ruling deferred to July 28". GhanaWeb. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  11. "James Gyakye Quayson storms Parliament; insists he is still Assin North MP - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  12. "Assin North: Court of Appeal dismisses Gyakye Quayson's Stay of Proceedings - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  13. "Supreme Court stops Assin North MP from performing parliamentary duties - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  14. Duodu, Samuel (25 March 2022). "James Gyakye Quayson's presence in Parliament questioned". Graphic Online. Accra: Graphic Communications Group Ltd. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  15. Hawkson, Emmanuel Ebo (13 April 2022). "Supreme Court orders Quayson to stop holding himself as MP". Graphic Online. Accra: Graphic Communications Group Ltd. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  16. Nartey, Laud (14 June 2022). "Supreme Court unanimously dismisses Gyakye Quayson injunction review". 3News.com. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  17. "Gyakye Quayson breaks silence after Supreme Court stopped him from performing MP duties". GhanaWeb. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  18. "You violated the constitution by stopping me from performing parliamentary duties - Assin North MP to Supreme Court - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  19. "Gyakye Quayson remains Assin North MP until final determination - Gary Nimako on Supreme Court ruling - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  20. "High Court sets June 13 to begin trial against Gyakye Quayson - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  21. "Supreme Court adjourns Gyakye Quayson's review application for a second time - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  22. "Expunge James Gyakye Quayson's name from your records - Supreme Court to Parliament - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  23. "Read Supreme Court's full judgement in Gyakye Quayson case - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  24. "The 4 reasons the Supreme Court gave for removing Gyakye Quayson". GhanaWeb. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  25. "NDC punches holes into Supreme Court's full judgement on Gyakye Quayson - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  26. "Supreme Court ruling on Gyakye Quayson case baffling - Minority in Parliament reacts - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  27. "I'm disappointed; I leave the matter in the hands of the court of conscience - Gyakye Quayson - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  28. "Parliament writes to EC, declares Assin North seat vacant - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  29. "EC sets June 27 for Assin North by-election - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  30. "Gyakye Quayson officially declares intention to contest Assin North by-election". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  31. Nartey, Laud (1 June 2023). "Gyakye Quayson declares intention to contest Assin North by-election". 3News.com. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  32. "Gyakye Quayson to contest Assin North seat again in June 27 by-election - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  33. Agyeman, Adwoa (1 June 2023). "James Gyakye Quayson declares intention to contest Assin North bye-election". Adomonline.com. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
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