NDC Minority Challenges Independent Candidacies of Sitting MPs

ACCRA: The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority is set to address the issue of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) running as independent candidates in the upcoming December 7 general election. This discussion is scheduled as Parliament reconvenes on Tuesday, October 15. According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, a former Minority Leader and current NDC MP for Tamale South, announced these plans during a weekend rally in Tamale. He stated that the NDC intends to use Article 97(1)(g) of the 1992 Constitution, which may require MPs contesting as independents to vacate their seats. The current Parliament includes three MPs-two from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and one from the NDC-who are running as independents in the forthcoming election. Additionally, Mr. Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the independent MP for Fomena and Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, is now contesting under the NPP banner. This issue previously arose during the 2020 general elections when Mr. Asiamah, then an NP P MP, decided to run as an independent. This led to the then Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Ocquaye, declaring the Fomena seat vacant, a decision pivotal to the current political dynamics in Parliament. With the Parliament evenly split between 137 NDC members and 137 NPP members plus one independent, the upcoming ruling by the current Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, regarding the four MPs' statuses will be crucial. This ruling could potentially shift the balance of power, determining which party holds a majority in the House.