Carlos Ahenkorah, Member of Parliament for Tema West Constituency, believes his concerns about the parliamentary election that led to Alban Bagbin becoming Speaker of the House have been validated.
He expressed his displeasure with the current situation in parliament, citing his early recognition of the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) intentions on January 7, 2021, as the reason for his actions during the election.
Ahenkorah emphasized that his focus, and that of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), should be on winning the upcoming December 7, 2024 General Elections, rather than engaging in disputes over parliamentary majority. We should focus on our strategy to secure victory in the election,” he stressed.
He alleged that upon discovering the NDC’s scheme to destabalize President Akufo-Addo by taking control of Parliament, he tried to impede their efforts but did not have the necessary support from his colleagues.
Ahenkorah stated that the debate regarding which party has the majority in Parliament is irrelevant, suggesting that the NPP should cede Parliament to the NDC. On January 7, 2021, during the Speaker nominee ballot counting, Carlos Ahenkorah grabbed ballot papers from a parliamentary official and made an attempt to leave the chamber, but he was stopped by security personnel and fellow MPs before he could do so, and the ballots were retrieved.
Fast forward to 2024, Parliament is facing confusion over its leadership composition, starting with Speaker Alban Bagbin declaring four parliamentary seats as vacant on Thursday, October 17. Three seats affected are from the NPP, while the fourth is held by the NDC.
This has caused a leadership crisis in Parliament, with the NDC, previously the Minority, now asserting Majority status with 136 seats compared to the NPP’s 135. However, on Friday, October 18, the Supreme Court issued a stay of execution on Speaker Bagbin’s declaration.
Parliament has been instructed to acknowledge and permit the four MPs to represent their constituencies and carry out their official duties until the substantive case is heard.
