The Supreme Court has resumed hearing on the vacant seats in Parliament today, November 11, 2024.
The Apex Court is expected to declare the final verdict on the pending case between the Speaker of Parliament, Speaker Alban Bagbin, and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus in Parliament led by Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
The ongoing legal case follows the Speaker’s declaration of four seats vacant due to four Members of Parliament’s decision to cross the carpets ahead of the 2024 elections.
Afenyo-Markin contends that Bagbin overstepped his constitutional authority by making the decision independently.
He maintains that only the judiciary holds the power to interpret the Constitution in such cases, and that the Speaker’s actions bypassed due judicial process. According to Afenyo-Markin, Bagbin’s declaration effectively disenfranchises the constituents in those areas, denying them their right to representation.
Following Afenyo-Markin’s suit, the Supreme Court issued an injunction preventing any further action on the vacated seats until a final decision could be made. Speaker Bagbin, however, challenged this interim injunction, filing a motion to have the court reverse its decision.
He argued that freezing his declaration infringed upon his duties as Speaker and that his decision was within his powers to maintain parliamentary integrity.
The Supreme Court dismissed Bagbin’s motion to reverse the injunction, upholding its previous ruling and setting the stage for today’s crucial judgment on the matter.
Watch the proceedings at the Supreme Court below;