Why NPP MPs were not present in the chamber when Bagbin suspended sitting

The Leader of the New Patriotic Party caucus in Parliament, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has shared insights into why the NPP MPs were not present in the chamber when the Speaker suspended sitting.

Speaking on JoyNews after the parliamentary proceedings on October 22, 2024, Afenyo-Markin stated that his side chose to yield their seats to the NDC MPs to avoid confrontations in the chamber.

“... I engaged the clerk and he said that he did not remove my name tag from my seat and that administratively, they acknowledge that the NPP side is the Majority and so they did not move our seat. I reiterated to Mr. Speaker that I could not foresee a needless confrontation all because of this constitutional lacuna of some sort, therefore, I respectfully told Mr. Speaker that our side would yield the Chamber to them for him to make his pronouncement, and thanked him, bowed and left,” he disclosed.

Afenyo-Markin further shared details about a pre-sitting meeting between the Speaker and the leadership of the caucuses.

According to him, the Speaker acknowledged the NPP MPs as the Majority and also noted that he had received the ruling of the Supreme Court.

“He called the leadership of both sides and he addressed me as the Majority Leader at the pre-sitting and he addressed the NDC leader as Minority and he put three issues before us.

“Issue number one was that as a result of his pronouncement last Thursday, knowing also that I have filed an issue at the Supreme Court, he is acknowledging to us that the Supreme Court had served him with a ruling and that he is going to announce the ruling to the house when we sit.

“Secondly, he also informed us as a result of the information he is going to give, there will be the need for us to engage as a House, and thirdly, he said he is aware that our colleagues on the other side have taken our seats and that sitting in the chamber and arrangement there is not his responsibility but that of the clerks,” he said.



MAG/AE