National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Adaklu Constituency in the Volta Region, Kwame Governs Agbodza has emphasized that he remains the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament indicating the NDC caucus in Parliament will occupy the majority side of the House on Thursday, November 7 when the house resumes sitting.

According to him, the declaration of four seats vacant by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin on Thursday, October 17 remains valid as the affected members have shown no indication to rescind their decision to contest as independent candidates.

Mr Agbodza was speaking at a campaign rally in Adaklu in the Volta Region.

“I’ll be going to Parliament on Thursday as the Majority Chief Whip and I’ll come back as Majority Chief Whip. As far as I am concerned, the four colleagues have vacated their seats in accordance with Article 97, since they are not going to renege on that decision not to contest, they are no longer valid Members of Parliament”, he emphasized.

Acting on a petition from Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, invoking Article 97 (1)(g) of the 1992 constitution, the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin declared four seats in parliament vacant, on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

The ruling led to the NDC side losing a member, reducing their seats to 136, while the NPP side lost 3 members, reducing their seats to 135, consequently throwing the House into uncertainty.

The NDC MP for Amenfi Central, Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah, was affected by the ruling, as well as the MP for Suhum in the Eastern Region, Kojo Asante, and Cynthia Morrison who represented Agona West Constituency.

Andrew Amoakoh Asiamah, who won the Fomena seat as an independent candidate and later filed to contest the 2024 election on the ticket of the NPP was also affected.

The Supreme Court however halted the Speaker’s decision on Friday, October 18th through a ruling by a five-member panel of the court presided over by Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo. This followed an ex parte application by the Majority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin.

The ruling, which held that declaring the seats vacant goes against the rights of the constituents of the four affected Members of Parliament has been objected to by the NDC caucus.

The Speaker of Parliament has since taken steps to get the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling.