News:
December 29, 2024
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin said the so-called MP-elects
from the Electoral Commission’s re-collation and re-declaration exercise are not qualified to be sworn in by him.
Speaking at a Citation Awards ceremony organized by the National Democratic Congress’ Professionals Forum at the D. F Annan Auditorium in Parliament on Saturday, December 28, 2024 where the Speaker was honoured with a Citation for his leadership role, Mr. Bagbin revealed that the decision of the Supreme Court just follows the position he took.
“The decision of the Supreme Court just follows the position I took before even they delivered their position”.
According to him, to become a Member of Parliament, “you have to be elected by the voter; and you have to be declared by the Electoral Commission; and you have to be sworn in by the Speaker.
Until you are sworn–in by the Speaker, you remain an MP-elect”.
“So I was very clear in my mind that some of those re-collations and re-declarations were completely null and void. They were unknown to the law and so they were not properly so-called MPs-elect, and not qualified to be sworn in by the Speaker”.
He said when he discussed his position with the Clark of Parliament and others, they were surprised, but “I told them, Yes, I’m a gatekeeper; the right thing must be done for us to be able to reset Ghana”.
The Supreme Court on Friday, December 27, 2024 quashed the re-collated exercise done by the Electoral Commission in four constituencies including Ablekuma North, Okaikoi Central, Tema Central, and Techiman South but upheld the re-collated results of Ahafo Ano North and Nsawam Adoagyiri because their results were not declared earlier at the constituency levels.
This was after the High Court on December 20, 2024 ordered the Electoral Commission to re-collate results in nine constituencies facing dispute which order the EC followed.
Ghanamps.com