Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has indefinitely adjourned parliamentary proceedings, following a tense session on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. The decision was made amid escalating disputes between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over which caucus holds the majority in Parliament.
The adjournment follows Speaker Bagbin’s earlier declaration that four parliamentary seats were vacant, which sparked a political and legal standoff. The affected constituencies include Agona West (Cynthia Morrison, NPP), Fomena (Andrew Asiamah, Independent), Suhum (Kwadjo Asante, NPP), and Amenfi Central (Peter Kwakye Ackah, NDC). The declaration was based on constitutional provisions concerning MPs who switch parties or contest as independents.
The Supreme Court later intervened, issuing a directive to stay Bagbin’s ruling on the vacancies. During his announcement, Speaker Bagbin briefly acknowledged receiving the Court’s communication but did not provide details, leaving uncertainty over the future status of the affected MPs and the overall composition of Parliament.
Bagbin cited the lack of quorum—due to the absence of NPP MPs who had walked out of the Chamber earlier in the session—as the immediate reason for the adjournment. He emphasized that although there were enough MPs present to conduct discussions, there were not enough to make formal decisions.
In his statement, Bagbin noted, “We don’t have at least half of all the Members of Parliament present… I will proceed to… adjourn the house indefinitely, that is sine die.” This adjournment leaves the parliamentary situation in limbo, with both the NPP and NDC awaiting further clarity from the Supreme Court.
The political tension, compounded by the ambiguity of the Supreme Court’s intervention and the indefinite suspension of Parliament, leaves the legislative process uncertain. Both parties now wait for further developments as the legal and political standoff continues.
