Mahama Ayariga Challenges Afenyo-Markin’s Legal Standing in Human Rights Petition

Mahama Ayariga, a prominent lawyer and politician, has criticized Alexander Afenyo Markin, the MP for Effutu, for his attempts to petition the Supreme Court regarding alleged human rights abuses.

Ayariga argues that Afenyo Markin lacks the necessary legal standing to represent the affected individuals, as he does not belong to any of the impacted constituencies.

In a recent interview, Ayariga posed pointed questions about Afenyo Markin’s involvement, asking, “If this is a human rights issue, whose rights are being violated? Does he represent those constituencies? Has his right to representation been infringed upon?”

He further contended that if the case concerns human rights, the Supreme Court does not have jurisdiction over it, referencing Article 33 of the Constitution, which safeguards human rights.

Ayariga expressed his dismay over a recent court ruling, stating he was “scandalized” and believes the decision exceeded the Court’s authority.

He highlighted that the Supreme Court did not validate or dismiss the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin’s ruling, which declared four parliamentary seats vacant, raising concerns about the reasoning behind the court’s actions.

He emphasized that it is the court’s duty to ascertain the legitimacy of a matter but insisted that it has overstepped its limits.

The Supreme Court has temporarily reversed Speaker Bagbin’s decision, requiring Parliament to recognize the four MPs and allow them to continue representing their constituencies until a final ruling is made.

This case was initiated by New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs, who are contesting the Speaker’s ruling affecting three NPP members and one from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The application was filed ex parte, meaning it was submitted without the involvement of the Speaker or Parliament at this stage.