National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate John Mahama has praised the Speaker of Parliament’s announcement that the four seats are vacant.
John Mahama claims that the NDC has gained a majority in Parliament despite not having cast a single vote. He sees this as one of the NDC’s best outcomes from the general elections.
“if the report I am hearing says then something history is happening., the report I am hearing is that the speaker has declared four seats vacant. The majority has turned to the Minority and the Minority has turned to the majority. Becoming the Majority is the sign of good things to happen, even without casting a single ballot the NDC has become the Majority,” Mr Mahama said in Kpone Katamanso during his campaign tour of Great Accra on Thursday, October 17.
The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has declared four seats in Parliament vacant.
The constituencies and the lawmakers are :
- Cynthia Morrison, the current NPP MP for Agona West constituency in the Central Region, who has filed to run as an independent candidate.
- Kwadwo Asante, the current NPP MP for the Suhum constituency in the Eastern Region, who has also filed to run as an independent candidate.
- Andrew Asiamah Amoako, currently an independent MP for the Fomena constituency in the Ashanti Region, who has filed to run in the upcoming election as a candidate for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu had petitioned the Speaker to declare the seats vacant by invoking Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution which stipulates that a lawmaker must vacate their seat if they leave the party under which they were elected or attempt to remain in Parliament as an independent candidate.