Vacant Seats: Speaker Bagbin's declaration unconstitutional — Supreme Court settles parliamentary impasse

The Supreme Court has quashed the ruling of Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin on the controversial four vacant seats.

In its final ruling today, the Supreme Court stated that the declaration of four parliamentary seats vacant by Speaker Alban Bagbin was unconstitutional.

The case, adjourned on Monday, 11 November 2024, was rescheduled for judgement today, Tuesday, 12 November 2024.

It stems from a legal challenge filed by Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin against Speaker Bagbin, who declared four seats vacant on October 17, 2024.

Speaker Bagbin argued that the MPs in question had breached constitutional requirements, which, in his view, justified their removal from office without judicial oversight or the need for by-elections.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin claims that the Speaker exceeded his constitutional powers by making this decision unilaterally.

He argues that only the judiciary has the authority to interpret constitutional matters involving parliamentary vacancies and contends that Speaker Bagbin’s action bypassed due judicial process, effectively disenfranchising the constituents of the affected areas by stripping them of representation.

In response to the Majority Leader’s suit, the Supreme Court issued an injunction halting any further action on the vacated seats until a final decision was reached.

However, Speaker Bagbin filed a motion to reverse the injunction, asserting that it obstructed his responsibilities as Speaker and that his declaration was within his constitutional purview to maintain the integrity of Parliament.

The Supreme Court subsequently dismissed Speaker Bagbin’s motion to overturn the injunction, sustaining its original ruling and clearing the way for today’s judgement.

The ruling has settled the long-standing parliamentary impasse between the NPP Caucus and NDC Caucus over who holds the majority status.