Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, NDC MP for Odododiodoo, has announced that the minority caucus will not return to Parliament until after the upcoming elections.
This decision follows the majority caucus’s move to trigger a parliamentary recall after the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, which overturned Speaker Alban Bagbin’s declaration of four seats as vacant.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled against Speaker Bagbin’s decision, siding with Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin. The dispute centered on Bagbin’s interpretation of Article 97(1)(g) of the Constitution to justify declaring the seats vacant. Afenyo-Markin argued that the Speaker exceeded his authority by bypassing judicial review and preventing by-elections in the affected constituencies.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued an interim injunction against the Speaker’s ruling. Bagbin contested this, arguing that parliamentary decisions are beyond judicial intervention. However, the Court ultimately ruled his declaration unconstitutional.
In an interview with Channel One TV, Vanderpuye criticized the NPP caucus for what he termed “unnecessary spending” of taxpayer money. He confirmed that the NDC minority caucus would focus on election preparations and return to Parliament only after the December polls.
“They should not waste taxpayers’ money by calling us to Parliament in the next three weeks. We are not coming. We are concerned with the elections, and we’ll return only after the polls,” Vanderpuye stated.
He added, “We want them to understand that majority or minority status is determined by numbers in the House. When we resume, the numbers will clarify who holds the majority. This isn’t about the Supreme Court.”
Vanderpuye also pointed out, “It’s not for the NPP or the Supreme Court to define who is majority or minority in Parliament. We have our own procedures. When Speaker Bagbin declared them the majority, did they go to the Supreme Court for that declaration?”