The suit filed by the leader of the New Patriotic Party Caucus, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, challenging Speaker Alban Bagbin’s declaration of four seats as vacant, is set to receive a landmark ruling from the Supreme Court today, 11 November 2024.
According to a report by citinewsroom.com, the judgment will provide clarity and finality on the four seats declared vacant and on the constitutional powers of the Speaker of Parliament.
The case, filed by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary caucus, challenges Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to declare these seats vacant without judicial oversight or the initiation of by-elections.
Speaker Bagbin’s interpretation of the 1992 Constitution regarding parliamentary vacancies is at the core of the ongoing dispute in Parliament.
Afenyo-Markin’s suit against Speaker Bagbin argues that the Speaker overstepped his constitutional authority by independently declaring the four seats vacant on 17 September 2024.
He contends that only the judiciary has the power to interpret the Constitution in such matters and that the Speaker’s actions bypassed the proper judicial process.
In his declaration, Speaker Bagbin stated that the four MPs at the center of the controversy had violated constitutional requirements, which he believed warranted their removal from office.
An injunction by the Supreme Court was issued, staying the Speaker’s ruling; however, this was challenged by Speaker Bagbin, who filed a motion to have the court’s decision reversed.
His motion was subsequently dismissed by the Supreme Court, which upheld its previous ruling, setting the stage for today’s crucial judgment on the matter.
