The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has voiced strong disapproval of a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, which temporarily overturned a decision by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin that declared four parliamentary seats vacant.
Cudjoe expressed his shock at the speed with which the Supreme Court addressed the case brought forward by Members of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), contrasting this with what he described as the Court’s tendency to delay cases requiring urgent national attention.
The IMANI Africa president also criticized the Court for frustrating efforts to secure justice for residents of the Santrofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) communities, who have been without parliamentary representation.
He characterized the situation as a reflection of a skewed system that appears to favor certain individuals while disadvantaging others. “The speed with which the SC came to the rescue of the 4 ‘disenfranchised constituents’ but took part in frustrating our efforts to get justice for SALL tells a lot, & makes a gangster system enviable. God dey!” Cudjoe wrote on social media platform X on October 19, 2024.
This response came after the Supreme Court, on Friday, October 18, 2024, issued a stay of execution on Speaker Bagbin’s ruling, allowing the four affected MPs—Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central), and Andrew Asiamah (Fomena)—to continue representing their constituencies.
The Court’s directive, which had initially been sought for a 10-day period by the NPP MPs, will remain in effect until the final ruling is delivered. The application was filed ex-parte, meaning that neither Speaker Bagbin nor Parliament was formally included in the proceedings.
The decision has sparked widespread debate, with some raising concerns about judicial interference in parliamentary matters.
The speed with which the SC came to the rescue of the 4 'disenfranchised constìtuents' but took part in frustrating our efforts to get justice for SALL tells a lot, & makes a gangster system enviable. God dey!
— Franklin CUDJOE (@lordcudjoe) October 19, 2024
