Assin North MP-elect doesn't hold dual citizenship – NDC

The Central Regional National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said the Member of Parliament (MP) elect for the Assin North Constituency, and Parliamentary Candidate for the Constituency in the just-ended parliamentary elections, Mr James Joe Quayson, does not hold dual citizenship.

This comes on the heels of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) serving a notice to suggest that it will challenge the legitimacy of the MP-elect as he was not qualified to take part in the December 7 polls.

According to the NPP, the MP-elect holds dual citizenship because he failed to renounce his Canadian citizenship before contesting for the Assin North seat.

The party made this known through its lawyers, Marfo and Associates.

The party has also written to the Ghana Immigration Service to furnish it with the travel history of the Member of Parliament-elect and also a renunciation certificate prior to his filing to contest for the 2020 elections.

However, the NDC has denied the allegations.

Speaking to Kofi Oppong on 12Live on Class91.3FM, Wednesday, 23 December 2020, Central Regional Communications Officer for the NDC, Kwesi Dawood said: “The NDC member of parliament elect for the Assin North Constituency James Jones Quayson does not hold any dual citizenship, as we speak. So the NPP can go ahead with their fishing expedition, which will amount to nothing.

But then we as a party in the region is also serving a word of caution to them that as they seek to peddle false information against an honourable member, aimed at damaging his reputation, they should be aware that they can be sued for doing that. Honourable Joe Quayson does not hold dual citizenship. I repeat, he does not hold dual citizenship.”

He continued that the NPP are “desperately trying to get some seats to form a majority in parliament which they don’t have.”

Mr Dawood further indicated that the NPP began the process to have the now the MP-elect disqualified from the contest before the polls.

“The fact remains that the Honourable James Joe Quayson, the duly elected member of parliament for the Assin North Constituency will be sworn in on 7 January come 2021 by law established. He does not hold dual citizenship.

“The funny thing is that they did this thing prior before the filing of the parliamentary processes, NPP sent petition to Electoral Commission, Electoral Commission did their investigations, but they realise the man does not hold a dual citizenship and so what is their beef now,” the NDC Central Regional Communications officer added.