The Speaker of Parliament Joyce Bamford-Addo, has been petitioned to declare three seats vacant, following the decision of the independent candidates occupying those seats to participate in the primaries of the New Patriotic Party ahead of the December parliamentary elections. Three independent members of the House - Joe Osei-Owusu, Seth Adjei Baah and Ofori Kuragu - representing the Bekwai, Nkawkaw and Bosome-Freho constituencies respectively, participated in the primaries of the NPP with two of them losing their bid except Joe Osei-Owusu. The petition filed by three private citizens namely George Spencer Quaye, Alex Doe and Eric Kwame Akomanyi has also called for the expulsion of the MPs involved from the House, for crossing carpets which is in contravention of Article 97 (1) (h). The petitioners say their action is informed by a precedent set in 2006, when then Speaker Ebenezer Sakyi-Hughes declared the Tamale Central seat vacant after the MP then an NDC member, resigned from the party and crossed carpet to join the NPP.