Four parliamentary seats have been officially declared vacant by Speaker of the House Alban Bagbin.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) holds three of the impacted seats, while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has one.
Among the MPs who are impacted are Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central), an independent MP who has filed to run in the 2024 parliamentary election on the NPP ticket, and Andrew Asiamah Amoako, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Fomena.
The other two are Kwadwo Asante of Suhum and Cynthia Mamle Morrison of Agona East, who filed to run as independent parliamentary candidates in the 2024 elections while currently serving in Parliament on the NPP ticket.
As a result of this development, the NPP will hold 135 seats, making the NDC MPs the minority, with 136 members.
Haruna Iddrisu, a member of parliament representing Tamale South and former minority leader, submitted a motion citing Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution. The motion was granted.
This means that Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, MP for Ajumako Enyan Essiam, will now serve as the Majority Leader, and Alexander Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu, will serve as the Minority Leader.
It follows protracted debates and statements made by members of the opposing parties.
In the meantime, Mr. Afenyo-Markin has challenged the Minority’s action by submitting a motion for an injunction at the Supreme Court.
