Haruna Iddrisu Is Wrong To File Such A Petition – Former Speaker Of Parliament [Video]
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Former Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, has raised legal concerns about a petition from former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, which seeks to declare four parliamentary seats vacant ahead of the 2024 general elections. The petition targets three New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs and one National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP who have chosen to run as independent candidates.
Prof. Oquaye argues that such a decision would be illegal without a formal complaint from the affected political parties and a fair hearing for the MPs involved. He explained that only the political parties have the authority to trigger the removal of MPs, emphasizing that Haruna Iddrisu has no legal standing to make the request.
“He’s wrong because the benefit is not his. The law does not stand to his inurement. He has no locus because he doesn’t belong to the party involved. So it is the NPP that can trigger the removal of the MPs,” Prof. Oquaye stated during an interview with JoyNews.
During the parliamentary debate on October 15, some MPs cited a precedent set by Prof. Oquaye in the case of Fomena MP Andrews Asiamah, urging Speaker Alban Bagbin to apply the same principle. However, Prof. Oquaye rejected the comparison, stating that the two cases are different and urging a nuanced approach.
He also clarified that MPs cannot be expelled from Parliament without due process, which includes a formal complaint from their party and a proper hearing. Prof. Oquaye expressed confidence in Speaker Bagbin’s ability to handle the matter wisely, stating, “The current speaker is a very experienced man. He’s one of the fundamentals of Parliament. I believe that he will go by the way that I’m talking about.” watch the video below
Prof. Oquaye stressed that political parties must follow legal procedures when dealing with MPs who leave or are expelled from the party.
