Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo, has announced that the minority caucus will not return to Parliament until after the upcoming elections. This decision comes in response to the majority caucus’s move to recall Parliament following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, which overturned Speaker Alban Bagbin’s declaration that four seats were vacant.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled against Speaker Bagbin’s decision, siding with a challenge from Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin. The dispute centred on Bagbin’s interpretation of Article 97(1)(g) of the Ghanaian Constitution as justification for declaring the seats vacant. Afenyo-Markin argued that the Speaker had exceeded his authority by bypassing judicial review and blocking the possibility of by-elections in the affected constituencies.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued an interim injunction to halt the Speaker’s ruling, which Bagbin contested, arguing that parliamentary decisions are beyond judicial intervention. However, the court ultimately ruled against the Speaker’s declaration.
In an interview with Channel One TV, Vanderpuye emphasized that the NPP caucus could not justify what he called “unnecessary spending” of taxpayer money. He affirmed that the NDC minority caucus would focus on election preparations and resume parliamentary duties only after the December polls.
“They should not waste the taxpayers’ money by asking us to come to Parliament in the next three weeks. We are not coming. We are concerned about elections, and we shall only come to Parliament after the elections. That should be at the back of their minds,” he said.
He further stressed “We want them to understand one fact that as far as we are concerned, issues about minority or majority are determined by the numbers in the house, so when we resume, the numbers will tell whether we are the majority, or they are the majority. This is not about the Supreme Court.
“…It is not for the NPP or the Supreme Court to define for us who are majority or minority in Ghana’s Parliament. We have our own procedures for determining who is a majority or who is a minority. When they were declared majority by Speaker Bagbin, did they go to the Supreme Court to seek that declaration?
By: Abigail Arthur
