Parliamentary proceedings were once again thrown into disarray on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, as Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga condemned attempts by the Minority to prevent an open debate on the Kpandai parliamentary seat vacancy.
Speaking on the floor of the House amid heckling by the Minority, Ayariga insisted that the matter must be discussed transparently and in full view of the media, arguing that Ghanaians have a right to judge the facts for themselves.
“Mr Speaker, your ruling was whether or not, within the seven days, you could be called upon to remove the MP from the chamber, and you ruled accordingly that by our CI 19, there is an automatic stay for seven days.
“So, within those seven days, the judgment could not be executed. The member will have a right to be in the chamber, but after seven days then the ruling will be triggered automatically.
“…How will the speaker rule if he has not heard all the sides of the matter. We will not allow this matter to be heard in secrecy. It must be treated in the full glare of the media. I want them to capture the facts based on which you are mounting your protest so that Ghanaians will be the judges as to who is right,” Ayariga said.
The Majority Leader outlined the constitutional obligations of the Clerk of Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, in notifying the Electoral Commission of a parliamentary vacancy.
According to Ayariga, following the High Court ruling that ordered a rerun of the Kpandai constituency election, the clerk acted within the statutory timelines set out under Article 112(5) of the 1992 Constitution.
“Mr Speaker so if check the records on 24th November 2025 you had indicated in your ruling that the statutory seven days stay therefore remains in force until 1st December 2025.
“So once the statutory seven days was in force till 1st December 2025, it means that the obligation of the clerk of Parliament will start counting on the 1st of December 2025 so within seven days of December the clerk was obliged constitutionally pursuant to article 112 (5) to notify the EC.
“So on the 4th of December the clerk wrote to the EC indicating that there was a vacancy because the clerk had been sent by the order emanating from the high court indicating that the court had ruled that there should be a rerun of the election in the kpandai constituency.
“So Mr Speaker I think that what you are being invited to rule on today is whether the clerk erred in communicating to the EC that a vacancy has occurred.”