Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has said he was certain that some parliamentary candidates declared winners through the Electoral Commission’s re-collation process were not qualified to be sworn in as Members of Parliament.
Addressing Parliament, Speaker Bagbin stated that the Supreme Court ruling affirmed his earlier stance. He emphasized that parliamentary candidates must fulfill all legal requirements before being sworn in.
“To be an MP, you must be elected by the voters, declared by the Electoral Commission, and sworn in by the Speaker. Until you are sworn in, you remain an MP-elect. I was very clear that some of the re-collation and declarations were completely null and void and unknown to the law. Therefore, such individuals are not eligible to be sworn in,” Bagbin said.
His statement comes after the Supreme Court annulled results from the re-collation for Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, Tema Central, and Techiman South constituencies on December 27, 2024.
The Supreme Court ruled that the re-collation and re-declaration of results in these constituencies were irregular and, therefore, unlawful. This decision followed a legal challenge by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which contested a December 20 High Court ruling that directed the EC to re-collate results in nine constituencies.
Bagbin further highlighted his responsibility as the Speaker to ensure that the right processes are followed.
“I told my clerks that some of these so-called MPs-elect were not qualified to take the oath. The Supreme Court’s decision just validated my position. As the gatekeeper, I must ensure the integrity of Parliament is upheld,” he added.
He concluded by urging all stakeholders to respect due process to maintain the credibility of Ghana’s parliamentary system.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
