Ghana's Supreme Court has summoned the main opposition National Democratic Congress' failed parliamentary aspirant for Shai-Osu Doku, Dr Michael Kpessa-Whyte, to defend himself against being held in contempt over a recent "stupid court" tweet, Accra-based Citi FM has reported.

The Research Fellow with the History and Politics Section at the Institute of African Studies (IAS), tweeted on the back of the Supreme Court’s declaration of the election of Mr James Gyakye Quayson of the Assin North consituency, as unconstitutional.

In that tweet on Friday, 19 May 2023, Dr Kpessa-Whyte said: “They have succeeded in turning a Supreme Court into a Stupid Court. Commonsense is now a scare commodity.”

He noted: “A major element in the death of democracies is partisanship in the delivery of justice.”

“Our judges need lessons in political philosophy and ethics,” he added.

A few days after that tweet, Dr Kpessa-Whyte tweeted again to delink his tweet from Ghana’s Supreme Court following some prompts.

He said: "Thanks to all who have asked questions about my May 19th, 2023 tweet. For the avoidance of doubt, I follow judicial decisions in many countries and, so, the said tweet cannot be pinned to Ghana. It has more to do with developments elsewhere including the US. We live in a global village.”

The Supreme Court, by a unanimous decision, ordered parliament to expunge the name of Mr Gyakye Quayson from the roll of MPs.

The court, on Wednesday, 17 May 2023, declared as unconstitutional, the election of Mr Gyakye Quayson as MP for Assin North.

A resident of Assin Bereku in the Central Region, Mr Michael Ankomah Nimfa, dragged Mr Quayson to court to restrain him from holding himself as MP after a Cape Coast High Court in July 2021 annulled his election as Assin North MP.

The petitioner had prayed the apex court that James Gyakye Quayson’s continuous stay in office despite a High Court judgment annulling his election offended the Constitution, and was not fair to the people of Assin North. 

The Cape Coast High Court had ruled that Mr Quayson owed allegiance to another country other than Ghana at the time of filing his nomination forms to contest the 2020 polls. 

The embattled MP had been challenging the decision by the high court at the Supreme Court.