BREAKING: Speaker Bagbin Adjourns Sitting Again After NPP MPs Fail to Show Up
Parliament's ongoing standoff continues as NDC asserts majority position, but NPP MPs remain absent
- Speaker Bagbin highlighted that without committee input and an agenda, the session could not proceed as planned
- The session was adjourned indefinitely due to ongoing tensions between the Majority and Minority
- Around 40 NDC MPs followed through on their pledge to occupy the Majority side of the House
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, has once again adjourned the sitting sine die after Members of Parliament (MPs) from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) failed to show up.
Addressing the House, Speaker Bagbin stated that the NPP MPs, who had triggered the recall of Parliament, failed to appear, and as a result, there was not enough quorum to conduct parliamentary business.
Speaker Bagbin pointed out the procedural hurdles that prevented Parliament from progressing, stressing that without input from committees and a clear agenda, the session could not proceed as scheduled.
He stressed the need for cooperation between the Majority and Minority caucuses to maintain a smooth and effective legislative process, particularly when addressing critical national issues.
The recent adjournment comes amid ongoing tensions between the Majority and Minority caucuses, which have disrupted parliamentary activities in recent weeks. With the adjournment being indefinite, it remains unclear when Parliament will reconvene to tackle the unresolved issues, leaving the legislative agenda for this session uncertain.
Approximately 40 MPs from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) followed through on their commitment to move to the majority side of the House following the recall.
These MPs shifted to the majority side, leaving the minority benches vacant, in line with Speaker Alban Bagbin’s declaration that four seats were vacant.
As a result, the NDC now holds 136 seats, while the ruling NPP has been reduced to 135, allowing the opposition party to quickly assert itself as the new majority in Parliament.
Despite the Supreme Court issuing a stay on its ruling on October 18, NDC MPs have remained firm in their decision to follow Speaker Bagbin’s directive, rather than the court’s decision.
Although Speaker Bagbin clarified that he does not control the seating arrangements in the chamber, reports suggest that no NPP lawmakers were present when the sitting began at 10 a.m.
