Carlos Ahenkorah, Member of Parliament for Tema West Constituency, has claimed vindication for his stance against the controversial parliamentary election that resulted in Alban Bagbin being elected Speaker of the House.
Clearly upset by the current state of affairs in parliament, Ahenkorah insists that he foresaw the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) agenda on January 7, 2021, which motivated his decision to disrupt the parliamentary election at the time.
“This is exactly what I planned to stop when it became evident that the NDC had infiltrated our ranks and persuaded some of our MPs to vote for Alban Bagbin as Speaker of the 8th Parliament,” Ahenkorah stated.
In an interview with Ghanaian journalist Alexander Anyankwaa in the USA over the weekend, Ahenkorah stressed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) should focus all its efforts on winning the December 7, 2024 General Elections, rather than debating over parliamentary majority.
“We have just two months to go before a major election, and we’re fighting over seats. We should concentrate on how we are going to win the election,” he emphasized.
He claimed that after realizing the NDC’s plan to destabilize President Akufo-Addo by seizing control of Parliament, he attempted to obstruct their efforts but did not receive the necessary support from his colleagues.
According to Ahenkorah, the debate over which party holds the majority in Parliament is insignificant, and the NPP should leave Parliament to the NDC.
It will be recalled that on the dawn of January 7, 2021, during the counting of ballots for Speaker nominees, Carlos Ahenkorah snatched ballot papers from a parliamentary official and fled toward the exit of the chamber amidst resistance from his colleagues.
He was unsuccessful, as he was apprehended by security personnel and fellow MPs before he could leave the chamber, and the ballots were retrieved.
Fast forward to 2024, Parliament is now embroiled in confusion over the composition of its leadership.
This began on Thursday, October 17, when Speaker Alban Bagbin declared four parliamentary seats vacant. Three of the affected seats belong to the NPP, with the fourth held by the NDC.
This decision has sparked a leadership crisis in Parliament, with the NDC, previously the Minority, now claiming the Majority with 136 seats compared to the NPP’s 135.
However, on Friday, October 18, the Supreme Court ordered a stay of execution on Speaker Bagbin’s declaration, instructing Parliament to recognize and allow the four MPs to fully represent their constituencies and perform their official duties until the substantive case is heard.
