The blind spot afflicting the NDC, for which Gyakye Quayson is paying the price for, has long been obvious.
And it feels that the NDC isn’t even paying attention to basic detail, especially the Supreme Court ruling.
I have read the entire 35-page judgement of the Supreme Court on the Gyakye Quayson saga.
Everybody must endeavour to read it so as not to be fed by NDC’s premeditated noise.
And while you’re at it reading, pay particular attention to the arguments, particularly with reference to the procedures of renunciation of Canadian citizenship as argued by the 3rd defendant, the Attorney General. And then delve into the quotation provided which is captured on the opening lines of a Canadian passport about allegiance and also the Australian case (Re Gallagher (2018) that was cited. My attention also caught Article 94 (2)a, of the 1992 constitution of Ghana, which provides nearly the same definition of allegiance as contained in section 44 (i) of the Australian constitution. I also noted the reference to section 9 (3) of the Canadian citizen act which clearly provides guideline procedures for renunciation until the point where a minister issues a certificate to confirm the same.
If after all the simulations and reading you still believe that Gyakye Quayson’s allegiance is SUBJECTIVE and that judges cannot determine a person’s allegiance based on their citizenship status, then you probably are far gone with the wind.
Again, I discovered in the judgement that article 94 (2)a, actually explains how a person can be deemed to have an allegiance to another country.
This is the big elephant in the room. It is clearly spelt out in unambiguous terms.
And instead of the NDC rebuilding trust with the Assin-North constituents with a new candidate, they have taken the unusual step of once more selecting Gyakye Quayson for the forthcoming by-elections.
Yes, the NDC has succeeded in serving Gyakye Quayson with the same poison chalice that they served Adamu Sakende.
Specifically, the stain of Adamu Sakende can’t be eradicated. The same reason for which Sakende went to jailed, is the very stain on Gyakye Quayson’s cloth.
In actual fact, the NDC has shepherded the man to the slaughterhouse while he awaits the verdict on the criminal charges against him.
How wicked can the NDC be?
That the NDC has lost political decency is not in doubt. The only question is the reason for this widespread affliction, ranging from a lack of understanding of contemporary politics to wilfully ignoring and cheering it on.
If it’s hard to get your head around just how far the rot has spread in the NDC, this should give you an idea.
As for Gyakye Quayson, his predicament is a rare mea culpa, but the words could almost sum up his politcal career. Too often he didn’t look, he didn’t see or he didn’t hear. He didn’t treat his electoral viability with the due diligence that is a pre-requisite for a holder of dual citizenship.
The man is indeed unfit to represent the people of Assin-North. He is a man who lied about his citizenship and forged an official document. He was found wanting and culpable, and the Supreme Court declared him as persona non grata as far as Parliament is concerned.
The people of Assin-North know this and they know better. They won’t vote for a candidate likely to end up in jail.
They have already been denied parliamentary representation for almost two years. They won’t make another decision that’s likely to complicate matters.
I shall be back
Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah
(Deputy Communications Director, NPP)