The Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency, James Gyakye Quayson, has expressed his satisfaction with returning to Ghana after several years of residing in Canada to serve his constituents.
James Gyakye Quayson, who was the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for the Assin North by-election, emerged victorious after the polls.
At the end of the by-election on June 27, 2023, Mr. Quayson polled 17,245 votes, representing 57.56 percent of the total votes cast, to defeat Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
Charles Opoku garnered 12,630 votes, representing 42.15 percent of the total votes cast in the fiercely contested by-election, while the LPG’s Bernice Enyonam Sefenu received a meagre 87 votes (0.29%).
Gyakye Quayson, who secured the seat in the 2020 polls with 17,498 votes, was ousted from Parliament due to his dual citizenship before filing his nomination forms.
The Assin North seat became vacant after the Supreme Court instructed Parliament to remove Gyakye Quayson’s name from its records in a ruling on May 17.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Face to Face on Citi TV, the lawmaker expressed his happiness in revitalizing his constituency.
He highlighted the daily challenges he faced, which were setbacks, but he emphasized that they didn’t deter him from working hard to secure the seat.
“Of course, the court case was a setback, of course, I’m also happy to know that I have come back to do the work I can do for the people. I was not afraid I was going to lose the by-elections,” Mr Quayson emphasised.
The MP is currently in court facing forgery and perjury charges.
The state is pursuing charges against him for deceiving a public officer, contrary to section 251 (b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29; forging a passport or travel certificate, contrary to section 15 (1)(b) of the Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967 (NLCD 155); and knowingly making a false statutory declaration in violation of the Statutory Declarations Act, 1971, Act 389.
He also faces perjury charges under section 210 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29; and False Declaration for Office as per section 248 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29.