The Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has confidently declared that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will not be intimidated by Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.

In a speech during the inauguration of a new party office in Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Annoh-Dompreh accused Bagbin of bias towards the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and alleged disregard for Supreme Court orders, asserting that these actions will ultimately define Bagbin’s legacy.

Despite his pointed criticisms, he emphasized the NPP's resilience and respect for Bagbin’s position, stating, “We have a tough skin” as the party gears up for the upcoming December elections.Annoh-Dompreh's remarks come in response to the recent parliamentary dispute over the declaration of vacant seats.Speaker Alban Bagbin had declared four parliamentary seats vacant in accordance with Article 97(g) and (h) of the 1992 Constitution.

This provision stipulates that any Member of Parliament (MP) who intends to run as an independent candidate or contest for a different party in the upcoming 2024 elections must vacate their seat.

The affected MPs were Cynthia Morrison, Kwadjo Asante, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, and Peter Kwakye Ackah. The Supreme Court’s suspension delays any immediate actions until the case is fully resolved.However, the Supreme Court instructed Bagbin to halt his ruling after an application from New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs challenged the Speaker’s ruling.

The court, led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, issued a stay of execution, halting the enforcement of Bagbin’s ruling until further legal proceedings take place.

But the Speaker instructed his lawyers to seek legal action to temporarily suspend the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has denied an application from Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, which sought to overturn the Court’s earlier ruling suspending his declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.

This legal battle began when Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin filed a suit challenging the Speaker’s declaration.

However, after carefully considering the arguments from all parties, including those from the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, the Supreme Court affirmed its previous ruling, stating that the Speaker’s appeal lacked merit.

Chief Justice comments reflected this conclusion, emphasizing, “We have considered the application, and we have come to the conclusion that the grounds supporting the application have no merit”.

In a related development, the Court also dismissed an objection from Thaddeus Sory, Bagbin’s counsel, regarding Justice Ernest Gaewu’s participation.

Mr Sory argued that Gaewu’s history as a parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) might present a conflict of interest. However, the Supreme Court rejected this claim.

The ruling is significant, as both factions in Parliament currently assert their claim to a majority.