The MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has hinted that Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) will be conducting four by-elections instead of one.
He said the three other constituencies, besides Assin North, that will host by-elections soon are; Dome-Kwabenya, Ayawaso Central, and Assin Central.
Mr. Ablakwa’s assertion follows the ruling by the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson, should stop performing Parliamentary duties as it determines the substantive case filed against him.
After proceedings, Attorney-General, Godfred Dame told the press the Electoral Commission can declare the Assin North seat vacant, therefore, the need for a by-election.
In response to the apex court’s ruling on Wednesday, Mr. Ablakwa has urged the government to prepare to conduct three by-elections in addition to the one in Assin North it has been working so hard for.
“If there is one thing you have to credit President Akufo-Addo and his coterie— it’s their killer instinct. They are determined to have a by-election in Assin North and absolutely nothing must get in their way.”
“When a very unpopular government cannot be bothered about the people of SALL, but is doing everything under the sun to confirm it’s unpopularity in one by-election, you help give them 4 by-elections instead of conceding to 1.”
“Let the by-elections begin,” he wrote in a post on Facebook.
To secure the three other by-elections, the North Tongu MP requested his colleagues on the Minority side in Parliament, to be relentless in ensuring that the three NPP MPs dragged to the Privileges Committees by Speaker Alban Bagbin for breaking the 15-sitting rule, are penalised for their actions, thus making it necessary for by-elections in those constituencies.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that this is imperative as the Minority has an “irrefutable constitutional basis” to see Sarah Adwoa Safo, Henry Quartey and Kennedy Agyapong removed from Parliament.
“I hope this informs my own party’s conduct from hence, particularly in how we deal with the 3 NPP absentee MPs. Especially when comparatively, we have a much stronger and irrefutable constitutional basis to succeed,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abraham Amaliba, has disagreed with the Attorney-General’s assertion that the Electoral Commission can hold a by-election in Assin North.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that this is imperative as the Minority has an “irrefutable constitutional basis” to see Sarah Adwoa Safo, Henry Quartey and Kennedy Agyapong removed from Parliament.
“I hope this informs my own party’s conduct from hence, particularly in how we deal with the 3 NPP absentee MPs. Especially when comparatively, we have a much stronger and irrefutable constitutional basis to succeed,” he stated.
During Parliamentary proceedings on Tuesday, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, referred the three members of the House to the Privileges Committee, for their continuous absence in Parliament.
The three are; the Dome-Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo, Ayawaso Central MP, Henry Quartey, and Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong. All from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) side of the House.
According to the Speaker, the three legislators have breached the 15-day absence rule, hence his decision to refer them to the Privileges Committee for the necessary actions to be taken.
Delivering his ruling on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, Mr. Alban Bagbin explained that based on the relevant provisions of the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament, the named NPP lawmakers are guilty of the absenteeism threshold for Members of Parliament.
Reacting to the issue, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, applauded the Speaker of Parliament for his decision to refer three Majority MPs to the Privileges Committee for their continuous absence in Parliament.
According to the NDC lawmaker, the ruling by Alban Bagbin is in order.
Speaking in an interview with Emefa Apawu on Top Story on Tuesday, he indicated that for some time now, he has been advocating for action to be taken against absentee MPs, and therefore he welcomes the directive by Alban Bagbin.
“I commend the right honorable Speaker for adopting a non-discriminatory approach. I am glad that the Right Honorable Speaker is in a non-discriminatory manner dealing with the issue relating to absenteeism with all the three Members of Parliament”, he remarked.
