Parliamentary candidates whose election results were annulled by the Supreme Court are ineligible to be sworn in-BAGBIN

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has declared that parliamentary candidates whose election results were annulled by the Supreme Court are ineligible to be sworn in as Members of Parliament.

Bagbin asserted that the declaration of these MPs-elect was unlawful, making them unqualified to assume their seats in Parliament. He explained on Saturday that becoming a Member of Parliament requires being elected by voters, officially declared by the Electoral Commission, and then sworn in by the Speaker.

This position aligns with the Supreme Court’s ruling, which invalidated the re-collated results for the Okaikwei Central, Ablekuma North, Tema Central, and Techiman South constituencies. The court found irregularities in the re-collation process, which had been contested by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The NDC had opposed the High Court’s directive to re-collate the results in nine disputed constituencies, arguing that the process was unlawful and lacked merit. The party claimed that the court had overstepped its jurisdiction and compromised the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.

Speaker Bagbin emphasized that he is the gatekeeper of Parliament and remains committed to ensuring that the proper procedures are followed to restore integrity to Ghana’s political system. He revealed that, despite discussions with his clerk and other officials who were surprised by his position, he remains steadfast in his commitment to upholding the law.