Private legal practitioner, Julius Opoku Agyei has stated that Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has demonstrated no unwillingness to comply with the recent Supreme Court order regarding the status of four disputed parliamentary seats.

In an interview on JoyNews' The Law on Sunday, November 10, he argued that the Speaker’s conduct and steps taken, including a formal request to the Supreme Court to vacate its order, show a recognition of judicial authority, not defiance.

“Speaker has not stopped the four people from coming to Parliament so he cannot be said to be in contempt of order. He has done nothing to show an unwillingness to obey the order. He has actually even gone to court to attempt to get the court to vacate the orders which is the acceptance and recognise that those orders have been made, otherwise, he could simply have said that I didn’t see those orders. So to that extent, you cannot say that he is in contempt of court,” he explained.

The controversy began when Speaker Bagbin declared four parliamentary seats vacant—a decision that was quickly stayed by the Supreme Court, allowing the MPs to retain their seats while the matter is pending.

However, this decision has led to significant discord in the House. NPP MPs have claimed that NDC members are creating a hostile environment that prevents the affected MPs from entering Parliament, indirectly challenging the Supreme Court’s order.

According to Mr Agyei, while the Speaker’s intentions appear compliant, his role as the head of Parliament places a degree of responsibility on him to prevent any interference that could obstruct the Supreme Court’s decision.

He however added, "If you see that some people who you should have control over are doing what they are doing to disobey or make it impossible for the SC decision to be enforced, you are a party to it.”

The situation has led to two recent adjournments in Parliament due to a lack of quorum, as the absence of these MPs left the House unable to proceed with its scheduled business.