Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has denied meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to negotiate a settlement over the declaring of four parliamentary seats vacant.
On Thursday, October 17, Speaker Bagbin declared the Fomena, Amenfi Central, Suhum, and Agona West parliamentary seats vacant, a judgement that the Supreme Court has since postponed awaiting further consideration.
In response to widespread allegations, Parliament released a statement on Tuesday, October 22, clarifying that a video circulating on social media apparently depicting Speaker Bagbin in a recent meeting with President Akufo-Addo is deceptive.
The statement explained that the video was actually taken during the presentation of the maiden Democracy Cup to the President and is not connected to the current parliamentary issues.
The Speaker’s office has called for an end to the circulation of false information, emphasizing that no such negotiation between the Speaker and the President has taken place regarding the parliamentary seats in question.
“The attention of Parliament has been drawn to a video circulating on social media insinuating that the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has been invited to a meeting with the President to negotiate a settlement in respect of the pronouncement by the Rt. Hon. Speaker on Thursday, 17th October, 2024 in response to a call by the Minority Leader to declare the seats of four (4) Members of Parliament vacant.
“Parliament states without any equivocation that there is no iota of truth in the insinuation in the circulated video. The video in question was taken on 4th July 2024, when the Rt. Hon. Speaker led a delegation to present the maiden democracy cup to the President.
“The attempt to wrongly label the video and twist facts to impugn the integrity of the Rt. Hon. Speaker and Parliament is not only disingenuous but unfortunate.”
Parliament’s circular also urged the public to disregard the video and treat it with contempt.
“The general public is hereby advised to ignore the attempt to hoodwink them into believing what has never transpired and treat the narrative with the contempt it deserves.”
