Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson, has filed a writ at the Accra High Court seeking clarification from the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on the status of four vacant seats in the legislature.
In the writ, the MP is requesting the court to compel Speaker Bagbin to confirm whether these seats remain vacant or if they are still considered occupied.
The legal action comes amid ongoing questions about the vacancies, which have raised concerns regarding the representation and functioning of the Parliament.
The MP further claimed that the Speaker should declare that the four legislators have vacated their seats to contest the upcoming election on tickets other than the one that brought them into the House.
The writ also demanded that any composition of Parliament after October 17, involving the affected members is unlawful and illegal.
The Member of Parliament (MP) stated that the October 17 ruling is valid because the Speaker’s move is backed by provisions of Article 97(1)(g) and (h) of the 1992 Constitution.
The MP, therefore, asserted his claim that “an order should be directed at the Defendant to ensure that Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, Member of Parliament for Fomena; Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison, Member of Parliament for Agona West; Mr Kwadwo Asante, Member of Parliament for Sohum; and Mr Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, Member of Parliament for Amenfi Central, no longer have access to the chamber of Parliament to participate in parliamentary proceedings.”
The development has since sparked conversations within the country’s judicial sector, with some supporting the Speaker’s declaration, while others have opposed the move, arguing that the Speaker did not adhere to the laws governing the House.
Meanwhile, Parliament has not returned to work since the Supreme Court also objected to the declaration of the vacant seats.
