NPP’s side constitutes the Majority in Parliament – Speaker
Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin on Friday afternoon declared that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Caucus and the Independent MP for Fomena Constituency constitute the Majority in Parliament.
“What we have now, you have the New Patriotic Party wing or caucus in Parliament, together with the Independent Member of Parliament from Fomena, and they now constitute the Majority Group,” the Speaker announced to cheers and singing from the NPP Side.
With almost clad in white, the NPP side, sitting at the right side of the Speaker, signifying they were in the Majority, rose to their feet, singing” a popular Ghanaian gospel song, “Mo mo mo, adea woaye ama me, momo momo mo adae woaye ama me, me ntumi nka….,” to wit, “Congrats, congrats; I can’t appreciate enough what you have done for me.”
The decision to announce the NPP side as constituting the Majority, Speaker Bagbin explained that it was based on a formal communication by Mr Andrews Asiamah Amoako, MP for Fomena, who was elected as independent MP to the House, in which the MP notified him (the Speaker) of his intention to do business with NPP Side in Parliament.
Until the Speaker made the announcement, the Side that would be declared majority had been bristly since the last December general elections produced 137 parliamentary seats for each of the two parties.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) was declared winner by the Electoral Commission (EC) in the presidential polls, and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the ruling party shared the parliamentary save one seat won by an independent candidate.
Both parties had made claims to having majority, with the matter heightening as to who would be elected Speaker of Parliament, a non-partisan position of who would chair proceedings of the House.
During the election of the Speaker, there were rowdy and unruly scenes in the House, with NPP side rooting for Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, the immediate past Speaker, and Mr Bagbin, immediate past Second Deputy Speaker for NDC Side, who carried the day.
The fate of the House as to which side would constitute the Majority had being hanging, as a drawn out negotiation ensued with both parties wooing the Independent MP.
The Independent MP, who was dismissed from the NPP prior to the December 2020 general election and subsequently dismissed from Parliament based on communication from the NPP to the Speaker of Parliament, won the parliamentary election in the Fomena Constituency.
Since his election, he had indicated that he would work with the NPP Side in parliament, and as the wrangling between the NPP and the NDC went as to which Side would be declared Majority, with the NDC insisting that there would no majority, the Fomena MP, who was elected as Second Deputy Speaker for the Eighth Parliament, finally wrote to inform Speaker Bagbin of his intension to associate, and do business with NPP Side.
“The House will accord him the space to do as he stated,” Mr. Bagbin stated, after he referred to the communication from the Fomena MP.
Meanwhile the Fomena MP, has informed the House, during the correction of Votes and Proceedings that his surname is Amoako, and not Asiamah as advertised.
Source: GNA