Supreme Court ruling: We aren’t aware of a law that suspends Speaker’s decision – Ayariga

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament say the only person they listen to and take directives from is the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.

The five-member panel of the Supreme Court chaired by the Chief Justice has granted a stay of execution of the ruling of the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin to declare the seats of four Members of Parliament (MPs) vacant over the switch of allegiance following an ex parte application by the majority leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin.

However, responding to questions during a press conference by NDC MPs in Parliament on Sunday, the MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga stated that the NDC side in Parliament is unaware of a law that suspends the Speaker’s decision.

“About the purported directive by the Supreme Court to suspend a decision of Parliament, we are not aware of any law or any constitutional provision that enables anybody to suspend a decision of the Speaker in Parliament properly constituted.

“What we know under Article 2 of the Constitution and Article 1 (30) of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has jurisdiction to make a declaration as to whether or not an Act is consistent or inconsistent with a provision of the Constitution. But to suspend a decision of Parliament or a directive of the Speaker in Parliament, we are not aware of the legal basis of conduct like that”, Ayariga stated.

According to him, as Parliamentarians they work on the basis of communication that comes to them from the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.

“We don’t hear things in the news and act on them or sight copies of records of proceedings in any court or on social media and act on them. We act on the basis of communication coming to us from the Right Honorable Speaker.

“If that communication says we should walk into the sea, we will walk into the sea. Because we listen only to the Speaker and nobody else in relation to the integrity, legality, and appropriateness of what has happened in the Chamber of Parliament”, the lawmaker stated.

Watch Mahama Ayariga's remarks below