Mr Kofi Tonto, an aide to the former vice president Mahamudu Bawumia, has dismissed claims that some Members of Parliament (MPs) were banned from the House, insisting that the Speaker of Parliament merely reversed an “illegal” decision.
Speaking on Bullet TV’s Morning Target on Wednesday, February 5, co-hosted by Seli Acolatse Apaloo and Nana Yaw Fianko, Mr Tonto said the Speaker’s initial ruling had no legal basis and was subsequently corrected.
“The Speaker reversed his illegality. First and foremost, our MPs were not banned,” he said.
“We want to make it clear that nobody can say that Annoh-Dompreh, Ahmed Shuaib, or Tampuli were banned. There was absolutely no ban for it to be lifted.”
The Speaker suspended the three minority MPs and the Majority Chief Whip, Mr Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor last week following a chaotic vetting session in parliament.
Mr Bagbin later rescinded his punishment.
Mr Tonto, however, questioned the Speaker’s decision-making process, arguing that it was inconsistent.
“The Speaker engaged in an illegality and realised his faulty decision, so he reversed it. On what basis do you ban me, especially when you have asked Bedzrah—who at one point even threatened to beat people—to chair a committee to investigate alleged violence? It doesn’t make sense,” Mr. Tonto said.
However, Nana Yaw Sarpong, a political aide to former presidential candidate Alan Kyerematen, disagreed with Mr. Tonto’s assertions.
Speaking on the same programme, Mr Sarpong argued that the Speaker acted within his authority under parliamentary rules.
“The Speaker gave a verdict, and you sit on the other side and say he engaged in an illegality. Did the Speaker himself say in his address yesterday that he acted illegally?” he questioned.
Citing Order 5 of the Standing Orders of Parliament, which grants the Speaker the power to interpret all supplementary orders, he said: “The law is always in the bosom of the judge, quoting: “Where there is doubt, these orders shall be interpreted by the Speaker.”
“It means the Speaker has the authority to interpret parliamentary orders, and he can even suspend the Standing Orders of Parliament.”
