National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament say they intend to occupy the Majority side of the House when it reconvenes today.
Adaklu MP Kwame Governs Agbodza announced that his party will follow Speaker Alban Bagbin’s ruling, which vacated the seats of four MPs who are seeking re-election under different parties than those they initially represented in Parliament.
“We will be attending upon the House as directed by the Speaker. We shall be taking our seats in the chamber in accordance with the Majority side which we are in Parliament,” Agbodza stated.
Agbodza further noted that the NDC MPs are prepared to work cooperatively with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs to advance government business.
This announcement follows a rare moment in Parliament on October 22 when both parties seated themselves on the Majority side, leaving the Minority side empty. The unusual arrangement stemmed from an ongoing dispute about which party now holds the majority after Speaker Bagbin declared four parliamentary seats vacant on October 17. With three seats held by the NPP and one by the NDC declared vacant, the balance of power shifted, giving the NDC 136 seats against the NPP’s 135. The NDC promptly declared itself the new majority.
However, on October 18, the Supreme Court issued a stay of execution on Speaker Bagbin’s decision, allowing the four MPs to continue representing their constituencies until a final judgment is rendered.
Despite the court’s ruling, the NDC caucus has maintained its position as the majority. At today’s press conference, Agbodza remarked, “Our advice is our minority NPP is to try and prioritise business that is in the interest of the people of this country, and they shall find favor and cooperation with us in trying to deal with those businesses.”
He added, “We can assure them that as long as the business is in the interest of improving the lives of Ghanaians, they can count on the majority NDC caucus in Parliament to support those initiatives to pass those things that will help the people of this country.”
Meanwhile, Speaker Bagbin has voiced concerns over interference from the Judiciary and Executive branches, which he sees as a direct challenge to Parliament’s jurisdiction. He emphasized that recent actions by these branches of government undermine Parliament’s role as “the repository of the sovereign will of the people of Ghana.”