Kwadjo Asante, the Member of Parliament for Suhum who has switched camp in the upcoming elections has clarified the rumours about rescinding his decision to contest as independent in the upcoming December elections. Rumours were rife on social media Tuesday, October 22, that the Suhum MP who is now contesting as independent has rescinded the decision and will no longer be part of the contest.
Reacting to the rumours on Maakye, Onua TV’s morning show on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, he said it is never true that he has stepped down from the upcoming race. “I’m contesting as an independent candidate. I have not said it anywhere that I’ve rescinded my decision to contest as an independent candidate. I don’t even know where that thing came from.
I received a lot of calls from Suhum and I had to rush back to the people to continue with my door-to-door [campaign]. It is part of the normal way of doing things but it is not true that I’m not contesting again,” he clarified.
Kwadjo Asante was elected on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party in December 2020, and after losing the parliamentary primary for the December 2024 polls, he declared his intention to contest as an independent. The decision, which is similar to some three others in Parliament, according to Article 97 of the 1992 Constitution, makes them vacate their seats in the House.
This was reinforced in a ruling by the Speaker Thursday, October 17, 2024, making the NPP which hitherto was majority in Parliament, become the minority, with the opposition NPP becoming the minority.
A Supreme Court verdict on the matter after an ex parte motion was filed stayed the ruling and directed the House to allow the members to occupy their positions until a substantive motion before the Supreme Court seeking interpretation of the Article is determined. The NPP MPs, however, vacated Parliament on Tuesday, October 22, making the Speaker adjourn the House indefinitely for lack of quorum.
By: Felix Anim-Appau