- “Let me assure the Ghanaian people that the NDC 137 MPs have no difficulty sitting to the left of the Speaker so long as our numerical strength is respected and respected in the composition of committees and in the determination of leadership of committees, whilst we continue to pursue legitimate legal and constitutional processes to procure what we deserve as a majority party, someone will say, what is on the left or what is on the right, we have no difficulty at all."
National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs are ready to sit at any side of Parliament despite having equal seats with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), the leadership of the opposition said on Thursday (14 January).
Addressing the media in Accra, Haruna Iddrisu said although numerically they are at par with the governing NPP, they are willing to yield the majority side to their opponents.
However, he served notice that they are making compromises on the basis that their numerical strength will be respected when it comes to composition of committees.
“Let me assure the Ghanaian people that the NDC 137 MPs have no difficulty sitting to the left of the Speaker so long as our numerical strength is respected and respected in the composition of committees and in the determination of leadership of committees, whilst we continue to pursue legitimate legal and constitutional processes to procure what we deserve as a majority party, someone will say, what is on the left or what is on the right, we have no difficulty at all,” the Tamale South MP said.
Majority advantage
The only Independent MP from Fomena in the Ashanti Region, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, has officially written to the Speaker to “associate with the NPP caucus in the Eighth Parliament”, technically giving the governing NPP the majority advantage.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I do hereby affirm I shall cooperate and collaborate with the NPP caucus in the Eighth Parliament,” he added.
The move follows a request made by Speaker Alban Bagbin during a meeting with the Fomena MP and leaders of the NDC and NPP caucuses; Haruna Iddrisu and Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu respectively on 12 January 2021.
However, Iddrisu told the media: “But we think that given what we’ve shared with you, guided by apt constitutional provisions, and evidenced by the fact that the Fomena MP is not joining the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and cannot join the New Patriotic Party by the constitutional framework…”
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