Alban Bagbin is the Speaker of Parliament of Ghana
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has proclaimed that the county’s current hung parliament could serve as a pivotal force in strengthening the nation’s parliamentary democracy.
This statement comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the 8th Parliament, which, for the first time in Ghana's history, lacks a clear majority side, leading to frequent deadlocks on key national issues.
Speaking at the launch of the Democracy Cup, an event marking 30 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy in Ghana, Speaker Bagbin highlighted the advantages of a hung parliament.
“We are lucky that God blessed us with a hung parliament and I will encourage you to let us go that way for some time,” he said.
Speaker Alban Bagbin argued that this setup promotes more thoughtful deliberations rather than mob-like decision-making driven by sheer majority numbers.
“Why? Because that allows you to sit to reason, not to act like a mob because of the majority numbers. There is usually no time to sit and think but just rush ... so even when you win the debate, you lose the vote. So indeed, there is a lot to be grateful to the Lord Almighty for,” he explained.
Describing the hung parliament as “a completely new game,” Speaker Bagbin noted the necessity of adapting parliamentary procedures to this new reality.
“We have now re-positioned ourselves to be able to handle it better. We were applying rules that were for a majoritarian system. Definitely, you have to vote and the majority will carry the day. Now, you are running a parliament where there is no majority so you can’t apply those rules again,” he stated.
Speaker Bagbin also underscored his integral role in the country’s political landscape, stressing that it is inconceivable for anyone to marginalise him and reduce parliament to a mere extension of government.
Reflecting on his extensive involvement with all of Ghana's presidents, he indicated: “It won’t happen when I am alive.”
He also emphasised that before his tenure as Speaker, parliament was often viewed simply as a segment of the public service, a perception he is determined to change.
