The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has been forced to adjourn Parliament indefinitely once again after the governing New Patriotic Party’s Members of Parliament, who requested for a recall of the House, failed to turn up for sitting this morning.
The Speaker had, on October 22, 2024, adjourned parliamentary sittings indefinitely over a lack of quorum to take decisions.
This followed a walkout staged by the NPP caucus after a disagreement over which side constituted the Majority side of the House.
Despite a Supreme Court’s ruling staying execution of the Speaker’s declaration of 4 seats vacant, the National Democratic Congress’ MPs insisted the declaration by the Speaker still stood and that they were in the Majority.
The October 17 declaration by Alban Bagbin meant that the NPP Caucus had become the Minority in the House with 135 seats while the NDC side took control of the House with 136 seats.
But the Supreme Court’s ruling stayed the execution of the declaration and reinstated the NPP Caucus as Majority.
The NDC MPs, however, insisted the Speaker’s declaration stood and when Parliament convened on October 22, they took over the majority seats.
This action did not sit well with their counterparts on the NPP side, who staged a walkout as they said they did not want any confrontation in the House.
The Speaker then adjourned sitting indefinitely, citing lack of quorum to take decisions.
But the NPP Caucus immediately triggered processes to recall the House to conduct “urgent Government Business”.
Yet when Parliament reconvened on Thursday, November 7 following summons issued by the Speaker at the instance of the recall request, the NPP MPs were no where to be found.
Addressing the NDC MPs, who taken their seats, the Speaker indicated that aside from absenting themselves from the sitting of the House, the NPP MPs also did not show up for the Business Committee meeting and as result, there was no business tabled before Parliament to conduct.
While expressing disappointment over the turn of events, Alban Bagbin said, “I will proceed once more to adjourn the meeting indefinitely and this extraordinary meeting is accordingly adjourned”.
