Election of Speaker: John Jinapor apologises for kicking voting booths

John Abdulai Jinapor, the National Democratic Congress Yapei Kusawgu Member of Parliament has apologised for his conduct during the election of the Speaker for the 8th Parliament on January 7.

According to him, his actions during the voting of a Speaker was to protect the constitution of the country which promotes secret ballot.

Just when the MPs-elect were about to start casting their ballots to elect a Speaker for the inauguration of the 8th Parliament, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka and John Abdulai Jinapor were seen rushing to where the voting booth and ballot box were and removing it from its place.

The Marshall of Parliament was able to lift the ballot box to safety. However, Jinapor kicked the paper-box voting booth, thereby disassembling it.

Jinapor’s action was in protest at how some NPP MPs were breaching the ‘secret ballot’ protocol.

But speaking to Joy News in a report monitored by GhanaWeb, John Jinapor said: “Some have maintained that we [NDC] stood our grounds to protect the constitution. [Others] have also insisted that we went too high [in our temperament] but if anybody feels unhappy, disturbed by what happened, I apologise to them.”