Members of Parliament (MPs) from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) exited the House on Tuesday morning after National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs took their seats.
Leading the NPP MPs, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the MP for Effutu, stated they were retreating to their offices to await instructions from the Speaker, Alban Sumana Bagbin, on how to proceed.
Afenyo-Markin emphasized their decision to choose a peaceful approach instead of confronting their opponents, aiming to prevent chaos and uphold Ghana’s reputation as a peaceful nation.
Mr. Speaker has been part of our democracy since 1992. He is a senior lawyer, he has practiced in our courts, and I believe that even if Mr. Speaker disagrees with the Supreme Court, he knows what to do. Suffice it to say, at the risk of being repetitive, that we were not disrespectful of the chair when Mr. Speaker made his pronouncement, and the Majority Caucus disagreed with him. We didn’t cause commotion here. We left quietly and told Mr. Speaker that the right place to express those grievances would be in court. So, we expect our brothers and sisters on the NDC minority side to do the needful. But it will all be for Mr. Speaker to make a final determination. The nation is looking up to Mr. Speaker; with all his years in politics, this is a crucial moment for him to add weight to what we have done to preserve the peace
NPP is for peace, NPP is for peace, NPP is for the peace of Ghana. We will not allow anyone to disturb the peace of this country. It is well known that we remain the Majority Caucus of this Parliament. You, the media, must add your voice to the advocacy to compel our colleagues to respect the rule of law
He then led his colleagues out, singing the NPP party anthem, as jubilant NDC MPs booed and chanted at them
Away, away, away
The scenes unfolding in Parliament were expected, following last week’s confusion over the Speaker’s declaration of four vacant seats and the Supreme Court’s subsequent stay of that declaration.
Since the start of this Parliament, the NPP MPs have held a slim majority, with 138 members compared to the NDC’s 137 in the Minority. However, the Speaker announced the four vacancies after determining that four sitting MPs contesting the December 7, 2024 elections had automatically vacated their seats due to constitutional violations.
Three of the affected MPs belonged to the NPP, while the fourth was from the NDC. Following this, the Minority claimed the Majority side, prompting protests from the NPP. Anticipating potential chaos, Afenyo-Markin sought orders from the Supreme Court to prevent the Speaker from ruling on the matter.
The Court subsequently stayed the Speaker’s declaration of vacant seats until it could address the issue.
There has been a variety of opinions regarding the Supreme Court’s actions, with critics arguing that it acted outside its jurisdiction or overstepped its authority by granting the petitioner more than requested. Some believe the Court has become more political than lawful, suggesting it should have invited the parties for a resolution instead of accepting an ex-parte application.
Conversely, many defend the Supreme Court’s actions, asserting that it is the only entity with the authority to interpret the Constitution, making its involvement appropriate given the constitutional disagreements at hand.
Ahead of the session, security was heightened at the Dome of the Accra International Conference Centre, where parliamentary sittings occur. Multiple layers of security, including barricades, checkpoints, and numerous police officers, were deployed, and access was tightly controlled.
