National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has directed the party’s Members of Parliament (MPs) to boycott any emergency recall of Parliament, accusing the sessions of being motivated by corrupt intentions.
Speaking to supporters in the Western Region on Saturday, November 16, Asiedu Nketiah criticized the ruling government, claiming that the call to reconvene Parliament ahead of the 2024 general elections had no legitimate purpose other than to further the government’s alleged corrupt agenda.
“No NDC MP should set foot in Parliament,” Asiedu Nketiah declared. “If they wish, they can go and burn the sea. There is no work in Parliament that can be considered an emergency. Parliament would only be recalled to continue with the rampant corruption that has plagued this government over the past eight years.”
He continued by accusing the majority caucus of attempting to push forward their agenda in the final weeks before the elections, stressing that the NDC MPs would not participate in any such efforts. “We won’t go near them today or tomorrow,” he stated. “Judges may say what they want, but Parliament has its own rules, and we will adhere to those.”
His remarks came after the Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday, November 12, to overturn the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin’s declaration that four parliamentary seats were vacant. The ruling was in favor of a legal challenge filed by Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
The Supreme Court ruling on Thursday, November 14, was backed by five justices who concluded that a parliamentary seat could only be declared vacant if a member switched political parties while still holding office. However, two justices dissented, arguing that the Court did not have jurisdiction over the matter, which led to differing opinions on the Court’s role in such cases.
