Adansi Asokwa MP and Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T. Hammond, has expressed his assurance that Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin will comply with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling.
This assurance follows the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the execution of Bagbin’s earlier ruling that declared four parliamentary seats vacant.
The Speaker’s original decision was prompted by a motion from former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, invoking constitutional provisions that require MPs who switch parties to relinquish their seats.
The four MPs affected—Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central)—were determined to have breached these provisions by either changing their party affiliations or expressing intentions to run as independent candidates in the upcoming elections.
This matter has ignited considerable legal discourse and raised concerns about the power dynamics within Parliament.
In preparation for the Speaker’s ruling, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin filed an urgent motion with the Supreme Court on October 15, seeking clarification on the status of the four MPs.
His actions reflect the Majority caucus’s urgency regarding the implications of the Speaker’s decision, which had shifted the House’s leadership towards the NDC just two months ahead of the elections.
On October 18, Afenyo-Markin formally requested a stay of execution against the Speaker’s ruling. The Supreme Court granted this request, temporarily halting any actions related to the ruling, including the declaration of the four parliamentary seats as vacant.
The Majority Leader welcomed this decision, expressing satisfaction with the Court’s intervention. In a follow-up interview, K.T. Hammond voiced skepticism about Speaker Bagbin, a trained legal professional, attempting to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“I feel excited; I knew yesterday that it was a bogus ruling by the Speaker. It’s clear what the court has said; I don’t anticipate any difficulties. The court is the ultimate arbiter of constitutional matters, and it has said A, B, C, and D, and that is it, so I expect everyone to abide by it.”
“I can’t imagine the Speaker, who is the number 3, 4 of the land, deciding to do anything otherwise. The constitution is in contempt of court, and he’s a lawyer who understands these things.
So I expect that on Tuesday, when we go back to Parliament, on October 22, we the Majority will be comfortably seated on our part of the aisle and the Minority, who are perpetual opposition, will be seated at their rightful place.”