Joseph Ade Coker, the former Greater Accra Regional chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has appealed for an end to the criminal prosecution of James Gyakye Quayson after his recent triumph in the Assin North by-election
Ade Coker, recognizing Gyakye Quayson's victory as a strong vote of confidence from the people of Assin North, has urged the government to avoid continuing the case. He called upon the country's elders to advise the government to withdraw the case in the interest of peace.
"The people of Assin North have spoken; they prefer Gyakye Quayson to continue serving as their Member of Parliament. We have reached a point where the elders of this country should step in and counsel the government to withdraw the case from court, allowing us to move forward," myjoyonline.com quoted him to have said in an interview.
Ade Coker believes that the election has been concluded, with Gyakye Quayson securing victory, and there is no reason to prolong the legal matter.
“The case must be withdrawn from the court and we must move on. The verdict of the people is very clear; we want this country to be on a peaceful note rather than in turmoil. We have passed that stage, the matter is finished, the election has been held, the man has won overwhelmingly. There’s no need for us to continue any court issue,” he added.
Gyakye Quayson is currently facing charges of perjury and forgery related to his Canadian citizenship status at the time of filing his nomination forms for the 2020 parliamentary election.
The legal proceedings against Gyakye Quayson arose following a Supreme Court ruling that deemed the Electoral Commission's decision to allow him to contest the 2020 polls without proof of renouncing his Canadian citizenship unconstitutional.
The apex court instructed Parliament to expunge Gyakye Quayson's name from its records, nullifying his election and declaring it to be of no effect. Furthermore, his swearing-in was deemed unconstitutional.
The Electoral Commission of Ghana has officially declared James Gyakye Quayson as the Member of Parliament-elect for the Assin North constituency following the conclusion of the by-election. Quayson, who contested on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), emerged victorious with a significant margin.
According to the Electoral Commission's announcement, James Gyakye Quayson garnered a total of 17,245 votes, representing 57.56% of the total votes cast. His closest contender, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), received 12,630 votes, accounting for 42.15% of the votes. Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party Ghana (LPG) secured 87 votes, which represented 0.29% of the overall tally.
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Joseph Ade Coker, the former Greater Accra Regional chairman of the National Democratic Congress
