James Gyakye Quayson
The political scene in Ghana is buzzing with the news of embattled James Gyakye Quayson, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, sharing the same fate as Adamu Dramani Sakande of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Bawku Central.
In a recent statement made by Henry Nana Boakye commonly known as Nana B, the National Organiser of the NPP, he accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of playing politics of double standards and emotional blackmail, leading to Mr. Quayson’s removal from parliament.
He noted that in 2012, when Mr. Sakande was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail for falsely declaring under oath that he had renounced his UK citizenship, the NDC celebrated the decision as a triumph of the rule of law.
However, in Mr. Quayson’s case, the NDC is waging an emotional campaign, blaming the court for applying the law equally to remove him as MP.
Nana B goes on to add that Mr. Quayson had the chance to make his case at the High Court up to the Supreme Court, but failed to convince any of the judges that he deserved to remain in parliament. Mr. Quayson’s criminal trial is underway, and he still has an opportunity to defend himself, according to the statement.
The NDC, according to Nana B, is refusing to take responsibility for their incompetence in conducting due diligence before the 2020 elections. Instead, they are blaming the court, which applied the law equally in 2012 and 2023, for Mr. Quayson’s removal.
The statement concludes by saying that Ghana’s laws and justice system do not discriminate based on political affiliation and that the NDC should take responsibility for their actions and spare the residents of Assin North from emotional blackmail.
Intriguingly, this is a significant story that shows the power play and cutthroat competition in Ghana’s political scene.
More importantly, it highlights the due process and the non-discriminatory nature of the country’s law and justice system.
By Vincent Kubi