Tamale Central MP, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has questioned the legitimacy of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) claim to majority status in Parliament, arguing that no formal basis exists to confirm them as the majority.
His remarks come amid a dispute following Speaker Alban Bagbin’s recent declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant, which has sparked renewed debate over which party holds the majority. Both the NDC and NPP caucuses have since staked their claim to this status.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled against Speaker Bagbin’s decision, supporting a challenge led by Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
In a 5-2 ruling led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, the Court determined that Bagbin’s use of Article 97(1)(g) of the Constitution did not justify the declaration.
Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, Murtala Mohammed questioned the NPP’s approach, emphasizing their lack of consensus-building.
He argued that the independent candidate who often votes with the NPP does not necessarily make them a true majority.
“Do we even have a majority?” he questioned.
“The independent candidate only agreed to sit and vote with the NPP; it doesn’t make him a member of the NPP. The issue of the sitting arrangement started the day the Speaker was elected, and it was Mahama who intervened to have NDC MPs sit on the minority side—not out of fear, but out of respect for leadership and love for this country.”
“It’s clear that these people have little regard for consensus-building and believe they can use certain institutions to control the NDC. The Afrobarometer report even showed that the independence of institutions has declined drastically under this government. This is simply pettiness,” he added.
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