Speaker Declares NDC Majority Side, NPP Minority After 4 MPs Vacate Their Seats

• Alban Sumana Bagbin to the chagrin of the NPP side of Parliament has declared four parliamentary seats vacant
• This was after the Minority petitioned the Speaker urging him to enforce Article 97(1)(g) of the constitution
• Alban Bagbin said the affected MPs' decision to cross the carpets means they have no business staying in the house on the ticket of another party

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, has officially declared four parliamentary seats vacant following a petition from the Minority side to do so.

The Minority had stated that the four seats - three of which are NPP seats and one an NDC seat - had their parliamentarians crossing carpets, an affront to Article 97(1)(g) of the 1992 constitution.

The four parliamentary seats are the Amenfi Central seat, the Agona West seat, the Fomena seat and the Suhum seat.

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The repercussion of the Speaker’s decision has created an unprecedented situation in parliament where the ruling party is currently the minority side whereas the opposition party is the majority side.

The NDC now has 136 MPs in the house whereas the NPP has 135 MPs.

Alban Sumana Bagbin, in delivering his ruling on Thursday, October 17, 2024, stated that the NPP’s argument that Article 97(1)(g) of the 1992 constitution was to only apply to a future parliament is neither here nor there as the wanting MP would have completed his term and probably be reelected.

He also stressed that the arguments posited by the former Speaker of Parliament, Aaron Mike Ocquaye, when he declared the Fomena MP’s seat vacant and his reason for doing so are not binding on him or any other speaker and thus have no locus on his ruling.

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Alban Bagbin explained that once the MPs have duly presented themselves to the EC to contest for their various seats as independent candidates or for a party other than their current one, they have no business occupying their seats in the current parliament.

Chaos follows Speaker’s ruling

Following the Speaker’s declaration that the four seats be vacated immediately, the NPP side of the house stood up in defiance.

They demanded that the Speaker rescind his decision, however, Alban Bagbin was not budging.

Despite several attempts to get the new-minority MPs to quiet down and sit for the business of parliament to continue, they staged a walk out.

They said they would not return to the house till the Speaker rescinds his decision.

As they filed out out of the chamber, the new-Majority side of the house hooted at them.

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Source: YEN.com.gh