Former President John Dramani Mahama and Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo
Former President John Dramani Mahama has, for the first time, responded to the Supreme Court’s ruling on an application by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, which challenged the court’s order for him to stay his declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.
Speaking at a campaign event in the Oti Region on November 7, 2024, Mahama, also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for the upcoming general election, criticized the Supreme Court for its reasoning behind dismissing the Speaker’s application.
He expressed particular dismay over the court’s justification that the Speaker’s declaration cannot stand until a substantive case before it is resolved, as it would infringe on the rights of Ghanaians who would otherwise lack representation in Parliament.
Mahama highlighted what he sees as inconsistency in the judiciary, pointing to the unaddressed cases of the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lipke, and Lolobi (SALL), who have lacked parliamentary representation since the 8th Parliament began, and the people of Assin North, who were similarly without representation for about two years.
“You see what goes around comes around. The Speaker declared some seats vacant, and they quickly ran to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court that earlier said it had no jurisdiction over vacancies in Parliament suddenly issued a stay of execution against the Speaker. And one of the reasons they give is that two months to an election, it is not fair for the people of those four constituencies not to have a representative in Parliament. I mean, what kind of justice is this? Nobody is superior to another in Ghana.
“And the justice system must be consistent. If it is inconsistent, it is not fair to the people of this country. Because you treat people one way for four years, they can be without a Member of Parliament. It doesn’t matter. Their representation is not important to you. Gyakye Quayson should be out of Parliament for almost two years. It doesn’t matter because people are not your people,” Mahama fumed.
He added, “Then when it comes to NPP MPs, the Speaker declares their seats vacant for one and a half months until we go to election. That one is unheard of. Their human rights are being affected. I mean, what kind of justice system is this?”
About the Court’s Ruling:
On October 30, 2024, Ghana’s Supreme Court reaffirmed its directive for Speaker Alban Bagbin to halt his declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.
A five-member panel led by Chief Justice Torkornoo dismissed Bagbin’s application, reasoning that his declaration would irreparably harm the affected MPs and the tens of thousands of constituents they represent.
This decision has sparked public criticism, with some pointing to the court’s handling of the Assin North seat, where the MP was barred from serving for months, and the case of the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lipke, and Lolobi (SALL), who remain unrepresented in Ghana’s 8th Parliament.
Watch Mahama’s comments in the video below:
John Mahama condemns the “gross injustice” done to the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL), who have been denied parliamentary representation since 2020. #GHOneNews #EIBNetwork #NPP #GHOneTV #ElectionHub #NDC pic.twitter.com/00gCKmjUu9
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) November 6, 2024
Watch Speaker Bagbin’s full speech on vacant seats brouhaha
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