Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye sworn in as acting President

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye has been sworn in as the acting President of Ghana.

He was sworn into office by the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo on the floor of Parliament at an emergency sitting of the House.

Aaron Mike Oquaye’s swearing-in is a result of the unavailability of the elected president, Nana Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia from the country.

The legality of swearing-in Aaron Mike Oquaye as President

According to Article 60 (11) and (12) of the 1992 Constitution, “(11) Where the President and the Vice-President are both unable to perform the functions of the President, the Speaker of Parliament shall perform those functions until the President or the Vice-President is able to perform those functions or a new President assumes office, as the case may be.” “(12) The Speaker shall, before commencing to perform the functions of the President under clause (11) of this article, take and subscribe the oath set out in relation to the office of President.”

Meanwhile, some political scientists are challenging the interpretation of the constitution. They argue that since the elected President, Nana Akufo-Addo is still acting in his capacity as President while in Liberia, it is unnecessary to swear in Prof. Oquaye as acting President.

It will be recalled that when President Akufo-Addo took office in January 2017, he swore into office one of his appointees, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as the Foreign Affairs Minister while in Ethiopia.

 

primenewsghana.com/Ghana News