After losing in court, Speaker Alban Bagbin clarifies the parliamentary seating dispute.

After announcing that four parliamentary seats were now empty, Alban Bagbin, the speaker of Ghana's parliament, has addressed the debate about the National Assembly's seating arrangements. With some factions asserting that the vacancies now give the National Democratic Congress (NDC) a majority in Parliament, this move has sparked a contentious discussion. Bagbin made these remarks during court hearings aimed at resolving the conflict.

In a statement released on November 6, 2024, Speaker Bagbin responded to the allegations and made it clear that he has no authority to decide where Members of Parliament (MPs) should sit. In response to the NDC's claim that the vacant seats, which were announced during a legislative session, now tip the scales in their favour, he made a statement. "Traditionally, party leadership, not the Speaker, decides seating arrangements," Bagbin noted. "Determining where an MP should be in Parliament is not a speaker's responsibility. To clear up any misunderstandings over his involvement in such things, Bagbin stated, "That determination in Ghana's constitution doesn't exist."

Additionally, although being influenced by the British Westminster model, Ghana's parliamentary seating arrangement is not strictly specified, he noted. He made reference to the changing nature of parliamentary systems around the world when he stated, "In various parliaments, these things we are talking about—majority and minority—don’t exist any longer." "That is why, in my ruling, I used the term ‘old school,’ which is the British model; the government and opposition," said the judge.

Instead of following the usual left-right split found in many Westminster-style parliaments, Members of Parliament sit in a horseshoe configuration under Ghana's parliamentary system. Bagbin stressed that although the number of members in Parliament determines which party has the majority, the actual seating is not rigorously regulated. "You can sit anywhere, but the numbers determine who is the majority and who is the minority," said the politician. The Speaker's statement aims to clear up any misunderstandings regarding his involvement in the issue and emphasise Ghana's flexible parliamentary seating system.