No negotiation between Bagbin and Akufo-Addo over vacant seats – Parliament
Ghana’s Parliament has refuted claims that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has met with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to negotiate a settlement regarding the declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.
It will be recalled that on October 17, 2024, Speaker Bagbin declared the Fomena, Amenfi Central, Suhum, and Agona West parliamentary seats vacant, a decision which has since been halted by the Supreme Court, pending further deliberations.
In response to circulating rumours, a statement issued by Parliament on Tuesday, October 22, clarified that a video being shared on social media, allegedly showing Speaker Bagbin in a meeting with President Akufo-Addo, is misleading.
The statement further explained that the video was taken during the presentation of the maiden Democracy Cup to the President and is not connected to the current parliamentary issues.
The Speaker’s office has called for an end to the circulation of false information, emphasizing that no such negotiation between the Speaker and the President has taken place regarding the parliamentary seats in question.
“The attention of Parliament has been drawn to a video circulating on social media insinuating that the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has been invited to a meeting with the President to negotiate a settlement in respect of the pronouncement by the Rt. Hon. Speaker on Thursday, 17th October, 2024 in response to a call by the Minority Leader to declare the seats of four (4) Members of Parliament vacant.
“Parliament states without any equivocation that there is no iota of truth in the insinuation in the circulated video. The video in question was taken on 4th July 2024, when the Rt. Hon. Speaker led a delegation to present the maiden democracy cup to the President.
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“The attempt to wrongly label the video and twist facts to impugn the integrity of the Rt. Hon. Speaker and Parliament is not only disingenuous but unfortunate.”
Parliament’s circular also urged the public to disregard the video and treat it with contempt.
“The general public is hereby advised to ignore the attempt to hoodwink them into believing what has never transpired and treat the narrative with the contempt it deserves”.
