Speaker Bagbin unlikely to disobey Supreme Court ruling – Justice Abdulai

Private legal practitioner Justice Abdulai has expressed scepticism about any potential changes from Speaker of Ghana's Parliament Alban Bagbin regarding the Supreme Court’s stay of execution on the ruling that declared four parliamentary seats vacant.

In an interview on Channel One TV with Nana Tuffour Boateng, Justice Abdulai stated that he does not anticipate the Speaker overturning the Supreme Court's ruling, which now allows the four MPs to participate in parliamentary proceedings.

“When he’s appropriately served, I do not foresee a possibility of the Speaker disobeying this without any sufficient grounds.

Granted that he decides to disobey the orders of the Supreme Court, that will put us into yet another constitutional conflict, which will only be resolved when we get there. The circumstances of this will detail how we discuss and resolve matters. But I don’t foresee that happening.”

The Speaker's ruling, made after a motion by former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, invoked constitutional provisions that mandate MPs who seek to run as independent candidates to vacate their seats.

The affected MPs—Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central)—were declared to have breached these provisions by either switching political affiliations or indicating their intention to run as independents in the upcoming election.

Ahead of the Speaker's ruling on Thursday, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin took urgent legal action, filing with the Supreme Court on Tuesday, October 15, to seek clarification on the status of the four MPs, who had decided to contest the upcoming December 2024 elections either as members of the NPP or as independent candidates.

On Friday, Afenyo-Markin also filed for a stay of execution of the Speaker's ruling. In response, the Supreme Court's stay order temporarily suspends any actions related to the ruling, including the declaration of the seats as vacant.

-citinewsroom