The Leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus in Parliament, Mr. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has stated that he will never occupy the seat in the House traditionally reserved for the Minority Leader.
He explained that, for what he described as “spiritual reasons,” sitting in the Minority Leader’s seat would be a bad omen. With the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections set for December 7, 2024, Mr. Afenyo-Markin emphasized that it would be both symbolically and spiritually inappropriate for him to sit there.
The NPP leader further argued that occupying the Minority Leader’s seat would imply that his caucus was assuming a minority position in Parliament.
He reiterated that the Majority caucus would never take over the minority seats, especially following a recent Supreme Court ruling that temporarily stayed the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin’s declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.
In a press briefing on Monday, November 11, 2024, Mr. Afenyo-Markin made these comments ahead of the Supreme Court’s anticipated ruling on the matter, which is expected to be delivered on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.
The case has sparked intense political tensions, with the Majority and Minority caucuses sharply divided over the matter.
At the heart of the dispute is Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant. Bagbin took this step after determining that the four Members of Parliament (MPs) – Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Andrew Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central) – had violated constitutional provisions, which he argued warranted their removal from office.
