The Minister of Trade and Industry, K.T. Hammond, has expressed confidence that Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin will comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
His comments came in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the execution of Speaker Bagbin’s ruling, which declared four parliamentary seats vacant after he approved a motion filed by former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu.
This ruling invoked constitutional provisions requiring MPs who wish to run as independent candidates to vacate their seats.
The affected MPs—Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central)—were deemed to have breached these provisions by either switching political affiliations or indicating their intention to contest as independents in the upcoming election.
Before the Speaker’s ruling on Thursday, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin filed an urgent request with the Supreme Court on Tuesday, October 15, seeking clarification on the status of the four MPs, who planned to run in the December 2024 elections as either members of the NPP or as independent candidates.
On Friday, Afenyo-Markin also requested a stay of execution of the Speaker’s ruling.
In response, the Supreme Court issued a stay order, temporarily suspending any actions related to the ruling, including the declaration of the seats as vacant.
In an interview with Nana Tuffour Boateng on Channel One TV, K.T. Hammond expressed skepticism about the possibility of the Speaker, a legal practitioner, overturning the Supreme Court ruling.
