The Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) has settled on Tuesday, June 27 as the date for Assin North by-election.
The EC in a statement revealed that nominations will be received at the Assin North District Office of the Commission from Monday the 12th of June 2023 to Wednesday, the 14th of June, 2023 between the hours of 9:00am to 2:00pm to 5:00pm on each day.
The filing fee for the election is ten thousand Ghana cedis (GHC10,000.00) per candidate.
The by-election follows the Supreme Court declaring the election of James Gyakye Quayson as Member of Parliament for Assin North as null, void and unconstitutional.
In a unanimous decision Wednesday morning (May 17, 2023), a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court ordered Parliament to expunge the name of Mr Quayson as MP
It was the considered view of the court that the election of Mr Quayson breached Article 94(2) (a) of the 1992 Constitution because at the time he filed to contest the elections he was not qualified to be elected as a legislator since he had not renounced his dual citizenship.
Parliament on May 29 wrote to the Electoral Commission (EC) declaring the Assin North seat vacant.
The Clerk in a memo to the Electoral Commission stated: “In the exercise of the power conferred and the duty imposed on the Clerk to Parliament by section 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (Amendment) Act, 1996 (Act 527), I, CYRIL KWABENA OTENG NSIAH, Clerk to Parliament do hereby formally notify you of the occurrence of a vacancy in the Assin North Constituency necessitated by the Judgement of the Supreme Court dated 17 May 2023 vide Writ No. J1/11/2022 issued in respect of James Gyakye Quayson in the case of Michael Ankomah Nimfah vrs James Gyakye Quayson. The Electoral Commission of Ghana and the Attorney-General request you to take appropriate consequential action as required by law.”