Ghana’s longest-serving legislator and Member of Parliament for Nadowli Kaleo in the Upper West Region, Alban S.K Bagbin is likely to be named as the candidate of speakership for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 8th Parliament. According to Citi News sources, the proposal was made by the leadership of the NDC caucus in the House. Mr. Bagbin is currently the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament of the yet-to-be dissolved 7th Parliament. Citi News understands that the leadership of the front bench for the Minority caucus will remain unchanged. This means Haruna Iddrisu will once again be chosen as the Minority Leader. He will be deputized by James Klutse Avedzi (MP for Ketu North, Volta Region) as First Deputy Minority Leader. The Minority Chief Whip position will be maintained by Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka (MP for Asawase, Ashanti Region). Ibrahim Ahmed (MP for Banda, Bono Region) and Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe (MP for Ada, Greater Accra Region) are to remain as First and Second Minority Chief Whips respectively. Ghana was left with hung Parliament after the 2020 polls with the NPP and National Democratic Congress all having 137 seats apiece in Parliament. The two parties were joined by an independent candidate, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who won the Fomena seat. Mr. Asiamah has said he will join the NPP to form a Majority in Parliament despite being kicked out of the party because he decided to run as an independent candidate. There are also question marks over whether the NPP could end up with the Majority. An interim injunction was granted restraining the Electoral Commission from gazetting the NPP’s John Peter Amewu as the MP for Hohoe following a lawsuit filed by residents in the Guan District who were not given the opportunity to vote in the December 7 parliamentary elections. Eligible voters within areas in the newly created district, namely Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi, were only allowed to take part in the presidential election on December 7, 2020. The case will be settled tomorrow after the State challenged the order of the Ho High Court granting the injunction saying that the court did not have the capacity to hear the case. Newly elected Members of Parliament are currently taking turns to register in Parliament. NPP’s speaker selection On the other side of the political divide, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye has been chosen by the National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to serve as Speaker of Parliament for the second time. He has served in such capacity since January 7, 2017. The former two-term Dome-Kwabenya MP served as the Second Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament between 2009 and 2013. Prof. Oquaye was MP for Dome-Kwabenya from 2005 to 2013. From 2001 to 2004, he had served as Ghana’s High Commissioner to India. In February 2005, he became Minister of Energy, and later he was moved to the post of Minister of Communications. Prof. Oquaye was also a professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana and was previously the Head of the Department of Political Science and member of the University’s Academic Board. The National Council of the NPP has also opted to maintain Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Suame MP, as its Leader in Parliament. It has also endorsed the change in deputy from Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Dome-Kwabenya MP, to Alex Afenyo-Markin, the Effutu MP. The Chief Whip slot has been earmarked for Frank Annoh Dompreh, the Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP after being held by Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, the Sunyani East MP. Mr. Dompreh’s deputies will be the Tolon MP, Habib Iddrisu and the Ayawaso West-Wuogon MP, Lydia Alhassan after Matthew Nyindam, the Kpandai MP and Moses Anim, the Trobu MP held those positions in the current Parliament. Lydia Alhassan replaces Ophelia Hayford, the Mfantseman MP who was earlier proposed as one of the Deputy Whips. Citinewsroom Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093.
