'Haruna Iddrisu challenges status of 4 MPs for 'crossing carpet'

The Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu says he will initiate a process to invoke Article 97 for Parliament to declare the seats of four MPs as vacant following an alleged crossing of carpet.

Three of the said four MPs have crossed carpets to contest the next parliamentary elections as independent candidates.

One of them, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Fomena, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, according to Haruna Iddrisu has crossed carpet as an independent MP for Fomena following his filing to contest the 2024 parliamentary election on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The others are Cynthia Mamle Morrison of Agona East and Kwadjo Asante of Suhum, all of whom are currently in Parliament on the ticket of the NPP but have filed to contest as independent parliamentary candidates in the 2024 elections.

The fourth person is a National Democratic Congress (NDC)'s MP for Amenfi Central, Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah who according to Mr Iddrisu has also crossed carpet to contest as an independent candidate.

Haruna Iddrisu's argument

Addressing a campaign event in the Tamale North constituency, Haruna Iddrisu stated that he will invoke Article 97 of the 1992 Constitution on Tuesday when Parliament resumes.

Article 97 states the grounds on which an MP may vacate the seat: "1) A member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament—

"(g) if he leaves the party of which he was a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an independent member; or

"(h) if he was elected a member of Parliament as an independent candidate and joins a political party.

Mr Iddrisu said “as Parliament resumes, I am confident that it will face a major constitutional test, and the NDC minority must become the majority”.

He emphasised that this constitutional provision applies universally, stating, “If an MP on a political party ticket, like the NPP, decides to file as an independent candidate, that member ceases to be a member of Parliament. An independent member, as per Article 97, sub-clause G, loses constitutional recognition if they join a political party. Even an NDC MP who becomes independent forfeits their parliamentary status.”

Mr Iddrisu expressed confidence that the invocation of Article 97 would compel Speaker Alban Bagbin to declare the affected parliamentary seats vacant, paving the way for the NDC to claim a majority.