The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has said he is unable to declare the Assin North seat vacant in spite of a court order annulling the 2020 Parliamentary election in that constituency.
“Prior to the receipt of this process, Mr. Speaker had received certified true copies of documents from the lawyers of James Quayson, Member of Parliament for the Assin North Constituency filed in respect of an appeal against the judgment of the High Court, Cape Coast and an application for the Stay of Execution of the said judgment of the High Court, Cape Coast,” said a letter addressed to the Registrar of the General Jurisdiction Court, Law Court Complex, Accra and signed by the Clerk to Parliament, Cyril K.O. Nsiah, expressing the position of the Speaker.
“On the face of the certified true copies received by Mr. Speaker, the matter in question is still sub-judice and has thus not been concluded by the Courts with competent jurisdiction on the matter. In the circumstances, Mr. Speaker is not clothed with the legal basis to make a pronouncement on the matter and can thus not declare the occurrence of a vacancy in the House pursuant to the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House,” the letter stated in part.
The Cape Coast High Court in its judgement in the matter of the Election Petition of Michael Ankomah-Nimfah vrs. James Quayson, Member of Parliament for the Assin North Constituency restrained James Gyakye Quayson from holding himself as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Assin North.
Below is the clerk’s letter:
