The inconsistent explanations behind NPP MPs’ 'no-show' in Parliament

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, adjourned the sitting indefinitely for the second time in less than a month after Members of Parliament from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) failed to attend the session on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

The meeting was adjourned for the first time on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, after the NPP MPs boycotted sittings, citing an application they have filed at the Supreme Court challenging Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin's declaration of four seats in the House as vacant.

The failure of the NPP MPs to show up on the floor on Thursday, a sitting they requested, has sparked criticisms from a faction of the public, forcing a response from them.

The justification given by the ruling government legislators, however, appears to be inconsistent and is even generating more backlash from the public.

Here are the reasons NPPs have given for not showing up on Thursday:

Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin:

The leader of the NPP caucus of Parliament, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, at a press briefing of his caucus, right after the Speaker’s ruling, said that his side chose not to attend the sitting of Parliament because they did not want to engage in chaos.

He accused Speaker Bagbin of betraying an agreement made prior to the sitting, for him (the Speaker) to tell the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs that they are the Minority Caucus and instruct them to sit on the minority side of the House.

He claimed that the Speaker had assured certain stakeholders, including the Peace Council of Ghana, that his earlier declaration of four seats in Parliament as vacant no longer stood after the Supreme Court's order; stating that the NPP MPs chose not to appear in the House because they did not want to participate in what they perceived as lawlessness.

He said that the Speaker by his actions was encouraging and supervising the chaos being caused by the NDC MPs in the House, adding that Bagbin was “setting the country on fire.”



Kennedy Agyapong:

Right after Afenyo-Markin’s remarks, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central and former NPP presidential candidate hopeful Kennedy Agyapong, leading a group of NPP MPs, said that they did not show up on the floor because they were having a caucus meeting.

According to Ken Agyapong, the NPP MPs did not deliberately boycott proceedings of the House on Thursday.

He indicated that the meeting ran longer than they expected and went past the time scheduled for Thursday’s sitting.

He added that the Speaker of Parliament, who he said was a friend and his former lawyer, would not have adjourned the House if he knew that the NPP caucus was having a meeting.

“It wasn’t a deliberate boycott. Our caucus meeting simply ran long. I think the Speaker wasn’t aware,” he said.

He indicated that the leadership of the NPP caucus should have informed the Speaker of their meeting to avoid what transpired on Thursday.



Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi:

The NPP MP for Asante Akim North, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, has, however, stated that there was no caucus meeting.

Appiah-Kubi, who was on the floor of the House during Thursday's sitting, said that he was not aware of any caucus meeting.

He said that he was on the floor because the Speaker recalled the House for proceedings; adding that he continues to be a parliamentarian and would not force his other colleagues to attend sittings of the House.

Asked about the meeting of his caucus, Appiah-Kubi said, “I’m not aware. I’m not aware of anybody being here or not being here. I’m not aware.”

Asante Akim North MP, Andy Appiah Kubi, says he’s not aware of any caucus meeting.#GhanaPolls2024#ElectionBureau#CitiVerify pic.twitter.com/NSCchdRsO5

— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) November 7, 2024

KT Hammond:

MP for Adansi-Asokwa and Minister for Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond (K.T. Hammond) slammed the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, over his decision to once again adjourn the meeting of the House indefinitely.

Speaking to the media after the decision of the Speaker on Thursday, November 7, 2024, the MP indicated that the Speaker's decision was totally wrong.

He indicated that the Speaker has been instructed by the Supreme Court to stay his declaration of four seats in the House as vacant, which made the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs the majority, but he has not.

He said that his side of the House, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs, did not show up for the proceedings on Thursday because the NPP MPs were sitting in their seats.

“Why were the NDC MPs sitting there? Is that where they are supposed to be sitting?... Your guys are not listening. The Supreme Court has spoken. The orders of the Supreme Court were directed specifically to the Speaker. It was the Speaker. It wasn’t the leadership. It wasn’t the clerk.

“It wasn’t the leadership which made that decision. It was the Speaker of Parliament who unconstitutionally made the proclamation or whatever that he said the last time. The Supreme Court told him that he was wrong. Restore matters to what they were before,” he said.

He threatened that his side of the House was going to cite the Speaker of Parliament for contempt of the Supreme Court.

BAI/OGB

Watch Speaker Bagbin’s full speech on vacant seats brouhaha





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