The First Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu, has cautioned that disrespecting the Supreme Court’s ruling on the vacant parliamentary seats could lead Ghana towards chaos.
His comments come after the Supreme Court sided with Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, challenging Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin’s decision to declare four seats vacant.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, Iddrisu expressed confidence that Speaker Bagbin would comply with the ruling while stressing the potential risks if it is disregarded.
“I am very positive and convinced that Speaker Bagbin I know will respect the decision of the Supreme Court. The same thing about our colleagues on the minority side will also respect the decision of the court. Rather than that, we will be heading towards a very bad precedent and it will be bad and dangerous to our democracy. Because I wouldn’t see the basis on which the speaker of parliament will not respect the ruling of the Supreme Court or the interpretation of Act 97.
“Because our colleagues in the minority are of the view that the speaker has said this, but the speaker also said that it was his understanding and the right body under the constitution to interpret the constitution is the Supreme Court and it has done just that. If we disrespect this, it means that Ghana will be having a chaotic state,” he stated.
Iddrisu added that the majority side of the house is ready to engage the speaker of parliament and the minority side of the house to get the government business going.
Meanwhile, retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba weighed in on the legal handling of the case, arguing that the matter should have been addressed by the High Court, not the Supreme Court. Justice Atuguba noted that while Article 130 of the Constitution grants the Supreme Court authority over constitutional interpretation, jurisdiction over election-related issues, including vacant parliamentary seats, typically lies with the High Court.
Justice Atuguba’s comments reflect ongoing discussions about judicial jurisdiction and the roles of Ghana’s courts in parliamentary matters. The recent Supreme Court decision underscores the complex balance of powers within the nation’s governance and the importance of maintaining constitutional order.
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