Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has defended the Clerk to Parliament over the controversial letter declaring the Kpandai seat vacant, insisting the Clerk acted strictly within the law.
Speaking on the Joy Super Morning Show on Tuesday, Mahama Ayariga said the Minority’s attempt to block debate in the chamber ultimately worked against their own interests.
According to him, the law is clear that once a court orders a rerun of an election, the Clerk is mandated to notify the Electoral Commission (EC), unless a court order is in place to stay the judgment.
“What I know is that as the law is, the Clerk acted properly within the law. He cannot be faulted,” he said. “Once you don’t have an order of the court saying that its judgment should be stayed, the time keeps running. And as we speak, the Clerk, having communicated to the Electoral Commission, the 30 days have started running.”
He argued that the chaos that erupted in Parliament on Tuesday could have been avoided if MPs had allowed a proper discussion on the floor to enable the Speaker to give a ruling.
Instead, he said, the Minority disrupted proceedings and blocked him from explaining the legal position.
“What the Speaker actually meant was that we should have allowed a discussion in the chamber in an atmosphere that would enable him to give a ruling. They prevented that from happening,” he said, adding that “they are the ones who have suffered the legal consequences.”
Parliament descended into confusion on Tuesday night after Minority MPs demanded an adjournment following Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to defer his ruling on the Kpandai seat matter.
Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh insisted no government business should continue until the issue was resolved.
But Speaker Bagbin ruled after a voice vote that proceedings would continue, prompting Minority MPs to chant and attempt to disrupt the sitting.
The tension follows a letter dated December 4, 2025, in which the Clerk to Parliament formally notified EC Chairperson Jean Mensa of a vacancy in the Kpandai Constituency.
The notification was issued after a High Court ordered a rerun of the 2024 parliamentary election in the area.
Mahama Ayariga, who represents Bawku Central on the NDC ticket, said the Majority had every right to defend their candidate, just as the Minority had previously done in similar instances.
“They must be seen fighting for their own. They have forgotten that the person Nyindam defeated is also an NDC person, so we also have a stake in fighting for our own,” he said.
“If you feel you should fight for your own, you think we shouldn’t be fighting for ours? How unreasonable could you be—especially when the law is on our side?”
He warned that preventing open debate on legal matters in Parliament would undermine the country’s democratic foundations.
“If we start allowing that, then we’ll be destroying the democracy,” he said.
The EC is expected to issue further directives as preparations begin for the ordered rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election.
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