A former Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has said that he disqualified the ousted Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, two times from contesting in the parliamentary primaries of the party.
According to him, he disqualified Gyakye Quayson from contesting in NDC primaries in 2012 and 2016 because he refused to renounce his Canadian citizenship.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM, on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, monitored by GhanaWeb, Allotey Jacobs alleged the former MP was afraid of losing his Canadian citizenship in the event that he loses the primaries.
“I happened to be the chairman of the vetting committee when I wasn’t the regional chairman. I asked him (Gyakye Quayson) to present documents that showed he had renounced his Canadian citizenship but he could not.
“So, I disqualified him, this was in 2012. In 2016, I was the (regional) chairman and I wanted him to contest in Assin Central because he was afraid because of Kumpreko (Ken Agyapong). I once again asked him to present his documents but he could not,” he said in Twi.
He added that “He was afraid of what might happen to him if he renounces his Canadian citizenship and loses the primaries. In 2016 because he had people backing him, he contested in the primaries but he lost.”