What happened in parliament wasn't palatable, should never happen again - Sammi Awuku

National Organiser for the New Patriotic Party, Sammi Awuku has conceded that the events which marred the dissolution of the seventh to eighth Parliament was unpalatable and hence should not repeat itself.

According to him, the incidents that transpired in the House which characterized the election of the Speaker also did not speak well of Ghana’s longstanding democracy and dignity.

Members of Parliament in the early hours of January 7, 2021 were seen in full glare engaging in scuffles, hurling of insults and snatching of ballot papers before and during a vote count to elect the Speaker.

The shocking events on the floor of Parliament also witnessed security personnel from the military and police being called in to restore calm and order.

Reacting to the events in an interview with GhanaWeb, Sammi Awuku stressed, “Some of the scenes were ugly, unfortunate that seeks to undermine our democracy and advance the course our democracy and I do hope these incidents do not repeat itself.”

Following the incidents in Parliament, Alban Bagbin was elected by the House to serve as the Speaker of Parliament.

His nomination was earlier announced by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) after the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) also nominated Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye to serve as speaker.

Polling 138 votes, Alban Bagbin won against his predecessor Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye who had 136 votes with one legislator said to have failed to participate in the vote.

The Clerk of Parliament declared Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin as the elected Speaker of Ghana's 8th Parliament for the next four years.

While Alban Bagbin's election has been welcomed by most, some have suggested that he may have reached some sort of agreement with the opposition NDC hence his nomination prior to the vote in Parliament on January 7th, 2021.