In a striking turn of events, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is facing a similar fate that it once welcomed in 2020. Back then, the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, declared the Fomena seat vacant after Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the NPP’s Member of Parliament for Fomena, decided to run as an independent candidate in the December 2020 general elections. The NPP had petitioned Parliament to remove Asiamah, arguing that by contesting as an independent, he had forfeited his membership and right to the seat. Speaker Oquaye upheld the party’s position, stating that it was constitutionally mandated, per Article 97(1)(g) of the 1992 Constitution, for any MP who leaves the party they represent to vacate their seat in Parliament.
At that time, the ruling was seen as a strategic move for the NPP to maintain control over its parliamentary seats. The decision came with the full support of the Constitution, which clearly stipulates that an MP must vacate their seat if they contest against the party they were elected under. Oquaye’s pronouncement echoed the sentiments of President Akufo-Addo and the NPP leadership, who were adamant that Asiamah’s defection to run as an independent undermined party unity. The declaration of the Fomena seat as vacant was hailed as a victory for the party’s strict adherence to party discipline.
Fast forward to October 2024, and the tables have turned. The NPP is now grappling with a similar ruling that doesn’t work in their favor. Speaker Alban Bagbin has followed in the footsteps of his predecessor by declaring four parliamentary seats vacant after NPP MPs filed to run as independent candidates in the upcoming December 2024 elections. Bagbin’s ruling, based on the same Article 97(1)(g), mirrors the Fomena decision, but this time, it stings the NPP.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, addressed Parliament on the matter, asserting that the NPP, having lost these members, no longer holds a majority in Parliament. This has placed the NPP in a difficult position just weeks before the general election. Forson called on Speaker Bagbin to enforce the Constitution and ensure that the MPs who have defected from their party are stripped of their seats.
The irony of the situation is clear. What was once a tool the NPP wielded to enforce party discipline has now come back to haunt them. The precedent set by Speaker Oquaye in 2020 has been applied equally by Speaker Bagbin, reinforcing that the Constitution remains consistent regardless of who holds the gavel. The NPP, which once benefited from this rule, now faces the political consequences of seeing four of its own members vacate their seats as they pursue independent bids.
In a twist of fate, the decision the NPP once championed now bites them, reminding all political players that the wheels of parliamentary justice turn fairly for all. What was once a safeguard for party loyalty has now become a significant hurdle for the NPP as it heads into a challenging election season.OW ow