Vacant seat controversy: I'll be going to Parliament on Thursday as the majority chief whip - Adaklu MP

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus in Parliament is set to claim the majority position when the house resumes on Thursday, according to Kwame Governs Agbodza, the Member of Parliament for Adaklu.

This shift follows Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin’s October 17 declaration of four seats as vacant under Article 97 (1)(g) of the 1992 Constitution.

The affected seats include those of Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah (NDC, Amenfi Central), Kojo Asante (NPP, Suhum), Cynthia Morrison (NPP, Agona West), and Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Independent, Fomena). Each of these MPs has filed to contest the upcoming December 7 election as independent candidates, thus vacating their seats.

The Speaker’s decision alters the numbers in Parliament, reducing the NDC to 136 seats and the NPP to 135, effectively giving the NDC the upper hand. Initially, the NPP held 138 seats, while the NDC held 137.

Despite the Supreme Court’s temporary suspension of Speaker Bagbin’s ruling, the NDC remains confident of their majority standing ahead of the upcoming session.

At a rally in Adaklu, Agbodza emphasized that the MPs’ choice to run as independents effectively vacates their seats according to Article 97. “As far as I’m concerned, they’ve actually vacated their seats. They’re no longer valid members of parliament,” he asserted.

Agbodza, the former Minority Chief Whip, stated confidently, “I’ll be going to Parliament on Thursday as the Majority Chief Whip, and I’ll come back as Majority Chief Whip,” foreshadowing a shift in parliamentary dynamics.

Speaker Bagbin is expected to address the media before the MPs reconvene, amid what promises to be a pivotal moment for Ghana’s parliamentary balance.