A Constitutional lawyer Justice Abdulai says there is minimal legal leeway for the four Members of Parliament (MPs) who risk losing their seats after declaring their intention to run as independent candidates in the upcoming elections.
According to him, the constitutional provision to declare their seats vacant is clear and leaves very little wiggle room for ambiguity.
This development follows the announcement by former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu that his side of the house intends to invoke Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution to vacate the seats of three Majority MPs and one NDC MP.
The provision in question states that an MP shall vacate their seat if they leave the party they were elected under or seek to remain in Parliament as an independent candidate.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News, Justice Abdulai noted, “From the precedence that we’ve had in the past and the circumstances in this particular case, I think it will be difficult for anyone to argue an ambiguity into these interpretations of the provisions.”
“I don’t think it will yield any difficulty for the Speaker to declare them persona non-grata in Parliament,” he said on Monday, October 14.
If the motion succeeds, the NDC, currently at 137 MPs, would become the Majority party, significantly shifting the balance of power in the House. Parliament is currently composed of 138 Majority MPs and 137 Minority MPs.
Despite the timing—less than two months to a general election—Mr Abdulai dismissed concerns that this would weaken parliamentary representation.
He emphasised the need for a reassessment of the legislative system.
He told Emefa Apawu that “most people go to parliament not with the intention of serving the house, not with the intention of representing their people, not with the intention of being agents of development and not with the promises of all the development we make.”
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