Watch heated clash between Bagbin and Afenyo-Markin after 4 seats were declared vacant

Tensions flared in Parliament between Speaker of Parliament, , and now Minority Leader, , after the Speaker declared four parliamentary seats vacant.

During the parliamentary sitting on Thursday, October 17, 2024, Speaker ruled in favor of the NDC caucus after deliberating on a petition from Tamale South MP Haruna Iddrisu (presented by Dr.

Cassiel Ato Forson) to declare four seats: Suhum, Fomena, Amenfi Central, and Agona West, vacant.

It follows a move by the NDC MPs on the Speaker, based on Article 97 [1(g) & (h)] of the 1992 Constitution which states that "A member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament 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 if he was elected a member of Parliament as an independent candidate and joins a political party." The Speaker's decision largely infuriated the NPP caucus, particularly their leader, Afenyo-Markin, who had a heated exchange of words with during a dispute over the declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.