The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has stated that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) does not have a majority in Parliament.
Apart from the fact that Ghanaians voted for an equal number of seats for both the NPP and the opposition NDC in the 2020 elections, he claims that most NPP MPs are in the Executive branch of government and sometimes fail to attend parliamentary sittings.
He explained that because these MPs have been tasked with handling issues at their respective Ministries, they can sometimes vote on certain issues.
“The 137-137, it was the people who decided. There was no system or formula put in place; the people just voted. One of the persons who made them the majority, they didn’t want him, so he stood as independent and beat the government candidate.”
“He is now the second Deputy Speaker, so actually, there is no majority. But, if not because of my impartiality, anytime they want to vote, I step aside, and one of them will come and sit down, and they are 137-137. So, they don’t have the power they think they have; they don’t have it at all,” Mr Bagbin said.