New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Agona West, Cynthia Mamle Morrison, has reiterated her decision to contest the 2024 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate.

This development follows the circulation of videos on social media featuring Morrison alongside several NPP MPs, including caucus leader Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin and Kennedy Agyapong, the MP for Assin Central.

Some individuals began speculating about the possibility of her returning to the NPP, but engaging the media, Morrison noted that she would run for the Agona West seat one more time, but not on the NPP ticket.

Her seat was among the four declared vacant by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin on October 17, 2024, a move that altered the parliamentary landscape.

The MPs affected by this ruling were Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central). According to the Speaker, their decision to contest the upcoming elections under different banners effectively vacated their seats.

Morrison was first elected as the MP for Agona West in 2016 on the NPP platform and successfully defended her seat in the 2020 parliamentary elections.

However, she lost the NPP primaries for the 2024 elections to Christopher Arthur, who is now the party’s candidate for the upcoming December 7 polls. She initially sought to run independently, citing mistreatment from the current NPP leadership as her motivation.

Background:

On October 18, 2024, Ghana's Supreme Court suspended Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin's ruling concerning the vacation of four parliamentary seats. This decision came after an application was filed by New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament, with the case being presided over by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

The court’s ruling temporarily halts the Speaker's earlier decision, made on October 17, 2024, pending a full legal review and final judgment.

Speaker Bagbin had ruled in favor of a motion by Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, which declared four parliamentary seats vacant. This move shifted the majority in Parliament to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Bagbin argued that the affected MPs, by opting to run as independent candidates or on the ticket of a different party for the December 7, 2024, elections, had violated Article 97(g) and (h) of the 1992 Constitution.

He explained that these provisions aim to prevent party defection and cross-carpeting, ensuring party loyalty throughout an MP's term.

The MPs affected by this ruling were Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central). According to the Speaker, their decision to contest the upcoming elections under different banners effectively vacated their seats.

On October 22, 2024, Speaker Bagbin adjourned the parliamentary session indefinitely (sine die), just a week after MPs returned from a long recess.