A former Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has said that he disqualified the ousted Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, two times from contesting in the parliamentary primaries of the party.

According to him, he disqualified Gyakye Quayson from contesting in NDC primaries in 2012 and 2016 because he refused to renounce his Canadian citizenship.

Speaking in an interview on Peace FM, on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, monitored by GhanaWeb, Allotey Jacobs alleged the former MP was afraid of losing his Canadian citizenship in the event that he loses the primaries.

“I happened to be the chairman of the vetting committee when I wasn’t the regional chairman. I asked him (Gyakye Quayson) to present documents that showed he had renounced his Canadian citizenship but he could not.

“So, I disqualified him, this was in 2012. In 2016, I was the (regional) chairman and I wanted him to contest in Assin Central because he was afraid because of Kumpreko (Ken Agyapong). I once again asked him to present his documents but he could not,” he said in Twi.

He added that “He was afraid of what might happen to him if he renounces his Canadian citizenship and loses the primaries. In 2016 because he had people backing him, he contested in the primaries but he lost.”

Background:

The Supreme Court of Ghana, on May 17, 2023, ordered the Parliament of Ghana to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament (MP)

The apex court of the land ruled that Quayson was not qualified at the time he contested the election in 2020 in the Michael Ankomah Nimfah vs. James Gyakye Quayson case.

According to the court, the ousted Assin North MP failed to prove that he had renounced his Canadian citizenship when he filed his nomination to contest the 2020 general elections.

Parliament subsequently declared the Assin North seat vacant, leading to the Electoral Commission of Ghana announcing a by-election on May 27, 2023, to fill the seat.

Watch the interview below:

Hmmmm!!! Listen to this clip and hear how Gyakye-Quayson was disqualified in 2012 & 2016 over the same dual citizenship issue. pic.twitter.com/KkFRyCrqF9

— Samuel Koku Anyidoho???????? (@KokuAnyidoho) June 14, 2023

You can also catch up on the second episode of Everyday People below:







IB/DA