'This is a gangster system' - Franklin Cudjoe reacts to Supreme Court ruling to override Bagbin

The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has expressed his shock over the ruling by the Supreme Court judges to suspend the decision of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin which in effect declared four seats in Parliament vacant.

He pointed out that the Supreme Court is known for delaying cases that need urgent national attention to resolve issues but was quick to sit on a case filed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs).

The IMANI Africa president also slammed the Supreme Court judges for their efforts to thwart attempts to get justice for residents of Santrofi, Akpalu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) to get representatives in Parliament.

Cudjoe described the turn of events in the political space as a ‘gangster system’ which tends to favor some people and maltreat others.

“The speed with which the SC came to the rescue of the 4 'disenfranchised constituents' but took part in frustrating our efforts to get justice for SALL tells a lot, & makes a gangster system enviable. God dey!” he wrote on X on October 19, 2024.

On Friday, October 18, 2024, the Supreme Court issued a stay of execution on Speaker Alban Bagbin's ruling, which declared four parliamentary seats vacant.

Parliament has thus been directed to recognize and allow the affected MPs Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central), and Andrew Asiamah (Fomena) to fully represent their constituencies and carry out their official duties.

The directive remains in effect, not for the 10 days initially requested by the applicants, but until the Supreme Court delivers its final ruling on the case.

The application to stay the Speaker's decision was filed by New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament, who sought the Court's intervention to halt the enforcement of the ruling that would have affected three of their colleagues and one from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The application was filed ex-parte, meaning that neither Speaker Bagbin nor Parliament was joined to the case.

View the tweet below:

The speed with which the SC came to the rescue of the 4 'disenfranchised constìtuents' but took part in frustrating our efforts to get justice for SALL tells a lot, & makes a gangster system enviable. God dey!

— Franklin CUDJOE (@lordcudjoe) October 19, 2024