Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, has filed a writ at the Accra High Court challenging the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, over the recent controversy surrounding four vacant parliamentary seats.
In the writ, Mr. Dafeamekpor argues that the Speaker’s move to declare the seats vacant is legally valid, as it is supported by provisions in the 1992 Constitution, specifically Article 97(1)(g) and (h).
The MP is seeking a court order compelling Speaker Bagbin to affirm his declaration regarding the four vacant seats made on Thursday, October 17, 2024. Dafeamekpor also seeks a ruling from the court that the MPs who have declared their intent to contest the upcoming elections as independent candidates have, in effect, vacated their seats.
In his writ of summons, Dafeamekpor demands that Speaker Bagbin formally declare that the MPs in question—Mr. Andrew Amoako Asiamah of Fomena, Mrs. Cynthia Mamle Morrison of Agona West, Mr. Kwadwo Asante of Sohum, and Mr. Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah of Amenfi Central—no longer hold their parliamentary seats. He further requests the court to declare that any participation in parliamentary proceedings by the four MPs after their seat declaration is unlawful.
“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 writ reads.
The controversy stems from Speaker Bagbin’s declaration on October 17 that the four MPs had vacated their seats following their decision to contest the upcoming election as independent candidates. This move has sparked legal and political challenges.
On October 18, the Supreme Court issued a stay of execution on Speaker Bagbin’s declaration, following a petition from former Tamale South MP and former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu. The stay was granted based on an ex parte application filed by Members of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which allowed the Court to review the matter without requiring the Speaker or other parliamentary authorities to participate at this stage.
As the legal battle over the vacant seats continues, the fate of the four MPs and the ongoing political implications remain uncertain.
