Speaker Bagbin Announces Vacant Status for Four Parliamentary Seats
Speaker Bagbin Announces Vacant Status for Four Parliamentary Seats
- Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin has officially declared four parliamentary seats vacant
- This comes just two months ahead of the December elections.
- The ruling follows a formal petition submitted to the Speaker by NDC MP Haruna Iddrisu.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin has officially declared four parliamentary seats vacant just two months ahead of the December elections.
This decision means that Ghana’s hung parliament, which previously gave the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) a slight advantage with the support of Independent MP Andrew Amoako Asiamah, will not shift towards the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The affected MPs include NDC’s Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah of Amenfi Central, Andrew Amoako Asiamah of Fomena, NPP’s Kojo Asante from Suhum, and Cynthia Morrison from Agona West.
The ruling follows a formal petition submitted to the Speaker by NDC MP Haruna Iddrisu. This petition was the result of extensive discussions and arguments from both the Majority and Minority sides regarding the implications of the petition filed by the former NDC Minority Leader.
The petition specifically targeted three NPP MPs and one from the NDC, citing Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution. This provision states that an MP must vacate their seat if they leave the party under which they were elected or attempt to remain in Parliament as an independent candidate.
This development has sparked considerable debate in Parliament, underscoring the ongoing political tensions between the ruling party and the opposition. During a heated session on Tuesday, Speaker Bagbin recognized the seriousness of the issue and requested an additional two days to provide a well-reasoned ruling.
