Bawumia Alleged To Be A British Citizen: Former Ambassador Claims Bawumia Is Not Fit To Hold Public Office

• Ghana's former ambassador to India Sam Pee Yalley has disclosed that vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia holds British citizenship
• According to him, the vice president acquired the citizenship when he was director of the London branch of the Bank of Ghana
• He said there is no evidence yet that Dr Bawumia renounced his British citizenship before he was sworn in as vice president in 2017 and again in 2021

It has been alleged that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was not fit to hold public office when was sworn in as Vice President of Ghana in 2017.

Former Ambassador to India under the erstwhile John Mahama administration, Sam Pee Yalley, has claimed that available records show Dr Bawumia is a British citizen with a British passport, in addition to his Ghanaian passport.

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Although it is not illegal for a Ghanaian to also be a citizen of another country, the law frowns on Ghanaians holding dual citizenship to run for some public offices.

Any Ghanaian holding citizenship of another country must renounce it before standing for public office in Ghana.

Article 8(2) of the Ghanaian constitution states as follows:

"Without prejudice to article 94 (2) (a) of the Constitution, no citizen of Ghana shall qualify to be appointed as a holder of any office specified in this clause if he holds the citizenship of any other country in addition to his citizenship of Ghana –

a. Ambassador or High Commissioner;

b. Secretary to the Cabinet;

c. Chief of Defence Staff or any Service Chief;

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d. Inspector–General of Police;

e. Commissioner, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service;

f. Director of Immigration Service; and

g. Any office specified by an Act of Parliament"

NDC James Quayson was ousted from Parliament over dual citizenship

Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that because the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, held Canadian citizenship and had not renounced allegiance to Canada before filing to contest the legislative seat, his election is null and void.

A by-election has since been scheduled for the Assin North constituency on June 27, 2023, after Parliament, as part of the Supreme Court ruling, declared the seat vacant.

The same rules must apply to Dr Bawumia

Commenting on the matter on Thursday, June 8, 2023, Sam Pee Yalley said the vice president must be held to the same standard as Gyakye.

"Now that the Supreme Court has decided that a person who holds dual citizenship cannot be a member of parliament, Bawumia’s record at the Bank of Ghana in London indicates that he is a British citizen. He was a British citizen way back in 2009 before ex-President Kufuor brought him to Ghana," Sam Pee Yalley said during a discussion Radio XYZ.

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He added that as the director of the international bank, Dr Bawumia stated in many documents that he was a British national.

He said it is curious that there is no known record of Bawumia renouncing his British citizenship before he was sworn in as vice president for the first time in 2017.

NDC 2024 presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama has said he will ensure that the prevention of people holding dual citizenship to stand for public office is amended if he is elected president.

Supreme Court releases full judgement on why it ordered Gyakye Quayson's name to be expunged

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a separate story that the Supreme Court published the full judgement on its ruling on the James Gyakye Quayson saga.

The full judgement relied heavily on 94(2) of the Constitution to justify its ruling that Parliament must expunge the name of Quayson as MP for Assin North.

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A seven-member panel of judges ruled unanimously that between October 5 to 9, 2020, Quayson was not qualified to file his nomination to contest the parliamentary elections.

Source: YEN.com.gh