The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Zabzugu in the Northern Region is in trouble over his alleged dual citizenship.
In what looks similar to the Adamu Dramani Sakande case, the NDC MP, Alhasan Umar, has been sued by two of his constituents for allegedly having both Ghana and the United States citizenship.
Adamu Sakande, after winning the Bawku Central seat on the ticket of then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2008, was challenged by a cattle farmer called sumaila Bielbiel on the grounds that the MP held dual citizenship and after a long trial he was sentenced to two years in jail in 2012.
The plaintiffs in the current case – Nikimola Jacob Makinye and Moponyaw Godwin – want the court to remove Alhaji Alhassan Umar from Parliament and declare the seat vacant. They are seeking a declaration that “the defendant, who owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana, is disqualified from holding the office of Member of Parliament of Zabzugu in the Republic of Ghana.” The plaintiffs further want an order directed to Alhassan Umar, compelling him to vacate the Zabzugu Constituency seat and an injunction to restrain him from holding himself as MP. In their statement of claim, the plaintiffs, both farmers, aver that “On 3rd November, 2000 the defendant was convicted in the United States for a traffic offence of overspeeding,” adding that the MP relocated to Ghana about eight years ago and worked at the Ministry of Communications as a management consultant. The plaintiffs claim that the information about the defendant’s citizenship came to them recently and that as at the time the NDC MP stood for the election, he was not qualified to do so because he owed allegiance to another country. They insist that Alhassan Umar committed perjury since he knew very well that he was not qualified to contest for the office of MP but went ahead to do so.
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