The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) have demonstrated their commitment not to be involved in any ‘showdown’ on Tuesday by leaving the chamber.
This was after National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs occupied the Majority side of the House which is originally for the NPP MPs.
In their bid not to be part of or cause any chaotic scenes, the NPP caucus exited the chamber led by Efuttu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said they were leaving to stay in their offices, awaiting directives from the Speaker, Alban Bagbin who was yet to arrive.
“Mr. Speaker has been part of our democracy since 1992. He is a senior lawyer, he has practiced in our courts, and I believe that even if Mr. Speaker disagrees with the Supreme Court, he knows what to do. Suffice it to say, at the risk of being repetitive, that we were not disrespectful of the chair when Mr. Speaker made his pronouncement, and the Majority Caucus disagreed with him. We didn’t cause commotion here.
“We left quietly and told Mr. Speaker that the right place to express those grievances would be in court. So, we expect our brothers and sisters on the NDC minority side to do the needful. But it will all be for Mr. Speaker to make a final determination. The nation is looking up to Mr. Speaker; with all his years in politics, this is a crucial moment for him to add weight to what we have done to preserve the peace,” he told journalists.
Afenyo-Markin noted that, they chose peace rather than chaos and therefore decided not to confront their opponents.
“NPP is for peace, NPP is for peace, NPP is for the peace of Ghana. We will not allow anyone to disturb the peace of this country. It is well known that we remain the Majority Caucus of this Parliament. You, the media, must add your voice to the advocacy to compel our colleagues to respect the rule of law.”
As they exited, jubilant NDC MPs booed them, chanting, “Away, away, away.”
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