Legal expert Martin Kpebu has raised serious concerns over the ongoing standoff between Parliament and the Supreme Court, describing the situation as a “crisis” that shows no signs of resolution. The conflict centers around Speaker Alban Bagbin’s indefinite adjournment of Parliament following the Supreme Court’s October 18 ruling, which blocked Bagbin from declaring four parliamentary seats vacant. The recent reaffirmation of this ruling has only intensified the tension, with Kpebu predicting that “we are not out of the woods yet.”
Kpebu, a seasoned lawyer, explained the gravity of the current situation: “We are in a crisis because there is… a disagreement between two arms of government.” He noted that while Speaker Bagbin, as head of the legislature, does not agree with the Supreme Court’s October 18 decision, the judiciary is standing firm. “The import of it is that the Supreme Court is saying that its decision was lawful and so it will remain the same,” Kpebu added.
According to Kpebu, the stalemate could lead to further confrontations. “It appears that we are not out of the woods yet. We are not out, at least logically, on paper,” he remarked, emphasizing that Bagbin may not easily concede to the court’s ruling. “Mr. Bagbin doesn’t look like somebody who would take this lying down, so it means that we would expect more fireworks from Speaker Bagbin.”
Kpebu also took aim at Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, describing his argument in court as “laughable.” Dame had argued that Speaker Bagbin was not qualified to be a defendant in the case and that only the Attorney General’s office should represent Parliament. “To be very honest with you, I was shocked that the Attorney General was making that point,” Kpebu said, adding, “Let’s be very clear, cut to the chase—this is a case that is highly political.”
He pointed out that the Attorney General’s argument seemed to be rooted in political interests, given that the Speaker’s move to declare the seats vacant would result in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) becoming the minority in Parliament. “By that, it means that the Attorney General’s party, the NPP, were made minority and they are in government, so it was going to give them a lot of headache,” Kpebu explained.
Kpebu was critical of the notion that the Attorney General should speak for Parliament rather than the Speaker. “The Attorney General’s submission that the Speaker of Parliament should not be heard, and that the Attorney General should be made to speak for Parliament… it’s very laughable,” he said bluntly. “I use the word laughable because I think Mr. Dame has to be told very clearly that he’s not the only lawyer in Ghana.” Watch the video below
In closing, Kpebu warned that the Supreme Court’s reaffirmation of its ruling could exacerbate the deadlock. “The crisis is not coming to an end,” he said, highlighting the deepening divisions between the judiciary and the legislature. With Speaker Bagbin showing no signs of backing down, Kpebu hinted that the public should brace for more heated exchanges in the days ahead.
