Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has announced that Parliament adjourns indefinitely, a decision made on Tuesday, October 22. This move comes amidst heated disputes between Members of Parliament (MPs) from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regarding which caucus holds the majority. During the adjournment announcement, Speaker Bagbin briefly noted receiving communication from the Supreme Court, which directed him to stay his earlier ruling that declared four parliamentary seats vacant.
However, he did not elaborate on the details of the communication, leaving MPs and observers uncertain about the implications of the Court’s directive. The Speaker informed the House that while they had the numbers to conduct business, they lacked the numbers to make decisions.
“Hon. members, we don’t have at least half of all the Members of Parliament present. Consequently, given the current circumstances and the ongoing questions about the composition and constitution of Parliament, and with regard to the public interest, I will proceed, in accordance with standing order 59, to adjourn the House indefinitely. Therefore, Parliament adjourns indefinitely. I have consulted leadership and I’m exercising my discretion to suspend the meeting of the House indefinitely; the House is accordingly adjourned sine die,” he announced.
This communication is crucial as it pertains to the ongoing legal battle surrounding the four parliamentary seats—two from the NPP, one from the NDC, and one independent—that were declared vacant by Bagbin on October 17. The Supreme Court’s intervention has put a hold on that ruling, adding complexity to the already fraught political situation. The affected seats are Agona West (Cynthia Morrison), Fomena (Andrew Asiamah), Suhum (Kwadjo Asante), and Amenfi Central (Peter Kwakye Ackah).
Earlier in the session, NPP MPs decided to vacate the Chamber, effectively leaving the NDC to occupy both sides of the House. This dramatic exit was in response to the escalating tensions and disagreements over the Majority designation, which has been a focal point of contention since October 17. The absence of NPP MPs resulted in a lack of quorum—the minimum number of members required to conduct official business—prompting Bagbin to cite this as the reason for the adjournment.
