Assin North ruling: Gov’t risk losing our cooperation in Parliament – Minority

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has cautioned that cooperation between the government and their side (Minority Caucus) in Parliament, risk suffering following a Cape Coast High Court ruling that has annulled the Assin North 2020 parliamentary election.

To him, it appears that government is still not comfortable with the balance of power in Parliament and has therefore resorted to using the courts to tilt power in its favour.

Such action, on the part of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), he noted, will cost them since they risk getting their full cooperation in the conduct of Government Business in Parliament.

Mr. Iddrisu, who is also the honourable Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, made this observation on the sidelines of parliamentary sitting on Wednesday, July 28, 2021.

His comment was at the back of a Cape Coast High Court ruling annulling the 2020 parliamentary election held in Assin North in which the NDC candidate, Joe Gyakye Quayson won.

The Court, which was presided over by Justice Kwasi Boakye, also restrained Mr. Quayson from holding himself as MP for the Assin North constituency and has accordingly, ordered for a fresh election to be conducted.

The petitioner in the case, Michael Ankomah Nimfah, had contended that Quayson held dual citizenship as a Ghanaian and a Canadian at the time of his election, and therefore must be restrained from performing the duties of a Member of Parliament.

However, Mr. Iddrisu commenting further, said the Court erred both in law and in facts.

The Minority Caucus as a group, he noted, remains unshaken with the ruling, adding that “we are confident that the Assin North seat is our seat and will remain our seat”.

Same legal process

However, he said the NDC as a party will contest the ruling using the same legal processes and legal forum as well as other opportunities available within the 1992 Constitution.

“We will contest the ruling. The Judge erred both in law and in facts. It is a travesty of justice but what is worrying – we don’t want to believe that the court of Ghana have been captured and that the courts of Ghana have become or being used surreptitiously to tilt the balance of power. We are equal 137:137. What is happening is that the court is now being used to tilt the balance of power and to weaken time and tested historical notion of checks and balances. Justice must not only be done but must manifestly and undoubtedly, be seen to be done”, he underscored.

He added “What happened this morning at Cape Coast – we are told even if when the Supreme Court of Ghana directed the Hon. Quayson and his legal team to go and file appropriate legal motions for the matter to be referred to the Supreme Court, he was denied that. That is repugnant and affront to his right to a fair trial guaranteed under Article 19 of the 1992 Constitution. Danger begets our democracy with the development happening. But as I have assured you, we remain unshaken, we remain very resolved and cooperation will suffer”.

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