Supreme Court stays Speaker Bagbin's ruling ousting 4 MPs from Parliament

The Supreme Court has placed a hold on Speaker Alban Bagbin's decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant.

As a result, Parliament has been directed to fully recognize the four Members of Parliament (MPs) and allow them to continue representing their constituencies and fulfilling their duties. This stay will remain in place not for the 10 days initially requested, but until the Supreme Court makes a final decision on the matter.

The request to pause the Speaker's ruling was brought forward by MPs from the New Patriotic Party (NPP). They sought the Court's intervention to prevent the enforcement of the ruling, which would have impacted three NPP MPs and one from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

This request was filed ex parte, meaning Speaker Bagbin and Parliament were not required to participate in the case at this stage.

The matter was reviewed by a panel of Supreme Court justices led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo. Other members of the panel included Justices Mariama Owusu, Kwame Adibu Asiedu, Ernest Yao Gaewu, and Yaw Darko Asare, who jointly ruled to pause the Speaker's decision.

Lawyers Paa Kwesi Abaidoo and former Attorney General Joe Ghartey represented the NPP MPs in successfully arguing for the stay. The ruling effectively preserves the four MPs' seats until further court proceedings.

The MPs in question—Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central), and Andrew Asiamah (Fomena)—either decided to run as independents or switched party affiliations ahead of the 2024 elections.

The NDC had claimed a majority in Parliament with 136 seats compared to the NPP’s 135, resulting in leadership changes. However, the Supreme Court’s ruling restores the parliamentary dynamics to their previous state.