The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, during proceedings on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, suspended Parliament indefinitely.
Speaker Bagbin, before suspending the proceedings of Parliament, indicated that even though the House had the numbers to form a quorum for a meeting, it did not have the numbers to make decisions per the Standing Orders of the House.
The House did not have the numbers for decision-making because New Patriotic Party Members of Parliament had boycotted the sitting over the brouhaha on which political party should form the Majority Caucus.
The Speaker mentioned the directive by the Supreme Court asking him to stay his declaration of four seats in the House vacant which has made MPs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Majority Caucus.
Bagbin did not indicate whether he was going to adhere to the order of the court and went on to adjourn the House indefinitely.
The Supreme Court of Ghana on October 18, 2024, stayed the ruling of Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, in the matter of the vacation of some four seats.
This occurred as the highest court in the land, led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, considered an application from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament.
The decision by the apex court effectively suspends the implementation of the Speaker’s ruling on October 17, 2024, pending further legal review and final determination.
Bagbin had granted a motion by the Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson to declare some four seats vacant, making the NDC become the party with majority members in Parliament.
Delivering his ruling, the Speaker noted that the decision by the affected MPs to contest in the December 7, 2024, election as independent or on the ticket of a party different from the party on whose ticket they currently serve, contravened Article 97 (g) and (h) of the 1992 Constitution.
He noted that the motive and operational effect of Article 97(g) and (h) was to cure the issues of cross carpeting and defection as witnessed in parliaments of old.
He stated that the intent of Article 97 (g) (i) was to cure party loyalty throughout the stay of an MP in Parliament.
He emphasised that the affected MPs by their decision and the Notice of Polls issued by the Electoral Commission for the December 7, 2024, parliamentary elections have vacated their seat.
The affected seats and their MPs included Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central).
The NDC is upholding the Speaker’s ruling, while the NPP is supporting the Supreme Court’s decision. With heightened anticipation, it remains unclear how the Speaker will respond to this development.
