Former President John Dramani Mahama appears livid about the Supreme Court’s ruling restraining embattled Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson from carrying himself out as a lawmaker.
Mr. Mahama described the ruling as a “travesty of justice and an affront to our democracy.”
Last Wednesday April 13, 2022, the apex court barred Mr. Quayson from representing the people of Assin North until the final determination of a pending substantive case that avers that he held dual citizenship at the time of filing his nomination forms to contest in the 2020 elections contrary to law.
However, few hours after the judgement, in a Facebook post, the former President wondered whether the Supreme Court’s ruling meant that the substantive case had been predetermined against the MP.
He said “I cannot understand how an MP can be restrained from carrying out his duties when the substantive case to give finality to the question of his legitimacy has not been determined.
Or is it the case that the outcome of the substantive case has been predetermined against him?
The representation of the people is at the heart of our democracy. Any decision that denies the citizenry of representation is a travesty of justice and an affront to our democracy.”
The ruling by the apex court has generated mixed reactions, with some members of the opposition National Democratic Congress 2(NDC) describing it as an aberration of justice.
The Attorney General, Godfred Dame, described the ruling as the enforcement of the long-standing position of the constitution.
The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central who is beneficially of a similar ruling, Mahama Ayariga had also indicated that the Supreme Court should have ruled to allow Mr. Quayson, to continue discharging his duties as a substantive MP until a final determination of the case.
By Vincent Kubi