The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin has ruled that moves to declare the Kpandai parliamentary seat vacant are premature and cannot be enforced at this time.
His decision follows growing calls for the House to take action after the incumbent MP’s status became the subject of public debate and political controversy. Some groups had argued that the seat should be declared vacant to trigger a by-election.
Addressing the matter on the floor of Parliament, Speaker Bagbin stressed that the House must follow due process and constitutional requirements before any seat can be declared vacant.
According to him, Parliament had not received any formal communication—either from the Electoral Commission or from the affected MP—indicating that the seat should be considered unoccupied. Without such notification and the necessary procedural steps, the Speaker said he had no legal basis to make such a declaration.
He further cautioned that Parliament must act carefully to avoid setting a precedent that could undermine the stability of the legislative arm of government.
The Speaker’s ruling effectively puts the matter on hold, pending official clarification from the appropriate authorities.
More updates are expected as the situation develops.
