Category: General

The Rt. Hon. Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament has dismissed the assertion that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is made up of elite than any other party in Ghana under the fourth Republic.

According to him the Convention People’s Party (CPP) is made up of more elite than any other party but it’s all because the NPP has loud mouths and they are very good at branding.

Hence they branded former President John Agyekum Kufour as a gentle giant to win election and did same for someone else (Akufo-Addo) and he became president for eight years, “and the results are there for all of us to see”.

He made this remarks when the opposition NDC members of the Professional Forum conferred on him a citation in Parliament House and endorsed him to be re-elected as Speaker for the 9th Parliament.

He further thanked God for a peaceful December 7, 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections that witnessed former President John Dramani Mahama elected as President again.

By way of some historic insight into the name of the NDC, he said, “It took a lot of pains and time to take the name National Democratic Congress, so we are a congress; we did not take the name party, it’s a good reason why we took the name congress.

“We represent everybody unlike the others. The award is not recognition of my personal service but rather the collective effort, commitment of each member of the great congress.

Our opponents who claim to be new, none of them is new anyway, to be patriotic, none of them is patriotic; they say they belong to a party you can see whether it is really a party, he criticized.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Dome Kwabenya in the 2024 election, Faustina Akurugu Elikplim has been officially confirmed the Member of Parliament (MP) elected for Dome Kwabenya.

The EC made the declaration on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 during an emergency meeting of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC).

The declaration is a major shift by the Electoral Commission that has initially announced a rerun at one of the polling stations at Abokobi in which the EC cited some inconsistencies in the results.

Dome-Kwabenya had been one of nine constituencies facing challenges with the declaration of results as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) candidate Mike Oquaye Jr. was not happy with the outcome also citing some irregularities.

Per the final results declared by the EC, NDC’s Faustina Akurugu won with 50,967 votes as against the NPP’s Mike Oquaye Jr. with 50,669 votes, thus a margin of 298 votes.

The Dome-Kwabenya has been one of the traditional seats for the New Patriotic Party in this fourth republic and considered one of the safe seats for the party. However, the current wave of defeat that swept through most of such traditional seats across the country in the 2024 election did not spare Dome-Kwabenya, and now in the hands of the National Democratic Congress.

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President Nana Akufo -Addo will on Friday, January 3, 2025 deliver his last State of the Nation Address as he brings his second term to an end as President of the Republic of Ghana.

This is in line with Article 67 of the 1992 constitution, that the president of the Republic of Ghana presents SONA prior to the dissolution of the eighth (8) Parliament.

The 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic will stand dissolved on Monday, January 6, 2025 and the 9th Parliament will reconvene on the same day at 11:00pm for the election of the Speaker and the two deputy Speakers as well as the swearing in of the new Members of Parliament elects at midnight.

In line with that media accreditation is being worked on and security will be tight on the day.

Ghanamps.com

The professional forum of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has made a strong case for the current Speaker, Alban Sumana Bagbin to be retained as the Speaker in the ninth parliament.

The President of the forum, Sam Pee Yalley, who made the call on behalf of the forum when the forum presented a citation to the Speaker in recognition of his leadership role said the experiences and mental dexterity exhibited by Hon. Bagbin, the first Speaker from an opposition party to have presided over a hang Parliament and doing so successfully was unmatched and must be encouraged to do more.

“For those who work with you, they see you as the Speaker, but we saw you as a pivotal link between the NDC as a party and the community. You represented the spirit of our party. Anytime we spoke to you and with you, you are insistent that you want to establish strong and stronger institutions as a priority.”

“We want to be the first to dare to say that our Members of Parliament should dare not make a mistake and change you”, Sam Pee Yalley emphasized.

Mr. Sam Pee Yale said the ninth parliament with the NDC with absolute majority also requires some level of commitment from the Speaker to be able to deliver the best for the country and Hon. Alban Bagbin’s experience is what is needed to achieve the desired results.

“You will be needed even more in this one sided parliament because if you are not who you are, there’s going to be the temptation of saying that, as somebody said, Doc, between your government just say Eye Zu and the people will say Eye Za’. But Rt. Hon Speaker, you are more than that.”

He said they believe that Mr Bagbin can lead above all these, “because of our firm believe that with you, Ghana first”.

In response to the honour bestowed on him, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin said “this award is not just recognition of my personal service; it symbolizes the collective effort, resilience, and dedication of each member of the great National Democratic Congress (NDC), and all those who have supported us in our relentless pursuit of a brighter future for Ghana”.

He commended the Proforum for their unwavering commitment and tireless work in facilitating the return of the NDC to power. “Your efforts, your strategic guidance, and your unyielding support have played an indispensable role in this monumental achievement. You have been the backbone of our party’s resurgence, and for that, we owe you a great debt of appreciation. Thank you for your dedication and hard work”, he added.

Ghanamps.com

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin said the so-called MP-elects
from the Electoral Commission’s re-collation and re-declaration exercise are not qualified to be sworn in by him.

Speaking at a Citation Awards ceremony organized by the National Democratic Congress’ Professionals Forum at the D. F Annan Auditorium in Parliament on Saturday, December 28, 2024 where the Speaker was honoured with a Citation for his leadership role, Mr. Bagbin revealed that the decision of the Supreme Court just follows the position he took.

“The decision of the Supreme Court just follows the position I took before even they delivered their position”.

According to him, to become a Member of Parliament, “you have to be elected by the voter; and you have to be declared by the Electoral Commission; and you have to be sworn in by the Speaker.

Until you are sworn–in by the Speaker, you remain an MP-elect”.

“So I was very clear in my mind that some of those re-collations and re-declarations were completely null and void. They were unknown to the law and so they were not properly so-called MPs-elect, and not qualified to be sworn in by the Speaker”.

He said when he discussed his position with the Clark of Parliament and others, they were surprised, but “I told them, Yes, I’m a gatekeeper; the right thing must be done for us to be able to reset Ghana”.

The Supreme Court on Friday, December 27, 2024 quashed the re-collated exercise done by the Electoral Commission in four constituencies including Ablekuma North, Okaikoi Central, Tema Central, and Techiman South but upheld the re-collated results of Ahafo Ano North and Nsawam Adoagyiri because their results were not declared earlier at the constituency levels.

This was after the High Court on December 20, 2024 ordered the Electoral Commission to re-collate results in nine constituencies facing dispute which order the EC followed.

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Chairmen of Committees on the Majority side are appealing to the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to maintain the current leadership in the upcoming 9th Parliament which starts January 7, 2024.

Chairman of the Education Committee, Kwabena Amankwah Asiamah who addressed the media on Friday, December 27, 2024 indicated they have acquired a lot of experience and should be maintained.

According to him with the outcome of the December 7, 2024 election and the defeat the party suffered their numbers have gone down.

And to have a strong Minority side the current leadership in the 8th Parliament should be maintained.

These include Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, Frank Annoh Dompreh, Habib Idrissu, and Patricia Agyiri.
He further noted that the decision would be good for Ghana’s democracy.

“They are the right caliber of people to lead the party this time around, with the exception of Alex Tetteh, Second Deputy Majority Whip who lost”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Apex Court of the land on Friday, December 27, 2024 has quashed the re-collated exercise done by the Electoral Commission in four constituencies including Ablekuma North, Okaikoi Central, Tema Central, and Techima South.

Meanwhile, the re-collated results of Ahafo Ano North and Nsawam Adoagyiri were upheld by the Court because their results were not declared at all.

According to the court, the trial judge in the December 20, 2024 ruling violated the rights to a hearing of the NDC Parliamentary Candidates when they applied to the High Court.

The High Court on December 20, 2024 ordered the Electoral Commission to re-collate results in nine constituencies facing dispute.

This followed a mandamus application filed by parliamentary candidates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), stating discrepancies in the tabulated results that enabled gave the National Democratic Congress, NDC candidates to be declared winners.

But the NDC described the ruling of the High Court as unlawful and challenged the ruling at the Supreme Court which ruling quashed the re-collation at the four constituencies.

Meanwhile, the EC failed to complete the re-collation of Dome-Kwabenya and Ablekuma North.

Ghanamps.com

The Electoral Commission (EC) has begun declaring winners for the nine disputed parliamentary constituencies following the re-collation of results mandated by the Accra High Court. Below are the declared winners so far:

1. Obuasi East Constituency (Ashanti Region)

Mr. Patrick Boakye-Yiadom, the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP), retained his seat. He secured 18,558 votes, narrowly defeating Samuel Aboagye of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who polled 18,539 votes. An independent candidate, Adjei Owusu Afriyie, garnered 424 votes. The declaration was made by the Returning Officer, Frederick Mensah, in Accra.

2. Nsawam-Adoagyiri Constituency (Eastern Region)

Mr. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam-Adoagyiri and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate, has been declared the winner following the re-collation exercise at the Greater Accra Regional Electoral Commission office in Ridge. Mr. Annoh-Dompreh secured 29,640 votes, while Fummey Philibert of the National Democratic Congress garnered 29,433 votes.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has paused the re-collation exercise for the Dome Kwabenya and Ablekuma North parliamentary constituencies, citing unresolved issues with missing pink sheets and disputes over key election documents.

The re-collation exercise for Dome Kwabenya and Ablekuma North, part of the nine constituencies identified for review following a High Court ruling on alleged election irregularities, has been halted.

So far, the EC has completed the re-collation for seven constituencies, all favoring the New Patriotic Party (NPP), including Ahafo Ano North, Techiman South, and Tema Central.

In Ablekuma North, the returning officer failed to provide the required pink sheets, with 62 still outstanding, preventing the completion of the re-collation process.

For Dome Kwabenya, pink sheets for three polling stations are only available in soft copy. Both the NPP and National Democratic Congress (NDC) failed to supply the hard copies, with the NPP blaming violent disruptions during the initial collation for the missing documents.

The re-collation was conducted under heavy security of joint military and police forces ensuring order. Despite the suspension, the EC reassured stakeholders of its dedication to resolving the issues in both constituencies.

Ghanamps.com

Finance Minister’s delay leaves Ghana on edge amidst fears of a January Government Shutdown.

Ghana’s Parliament has been adjourned to January 2, 2024, following the Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam’s failure to present the anticipated 2025 Mini-Budget before the end of the current session.

The Mini-Budget, a constitutional requirement to outline the fiscal outlook for the upcoming year, was expected to address critical economic priorities, including revenue generation and expenditure planning. Its absence has sparked fears of a potential government shutdown on January 1, 2025.

Speaker Alban Bagbin adjourned proceedings amid heightened tensions, leaving lawmakers and stakeholders questioning the government’s preparedness for a smooth fiscal transition.

Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson expressed dismay, accusing the outgoing administration of neglecting its duty to ensure public services are funded in early 2025.

He assured Ghanaians that the incoming NDC government would act swiftly after taking office on January 7, 2025.
In contrast, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin attributed the delay to the “lawlessness” of the Minority and assured that the Finance Minister would submit the expenditure proposal when Parliament resumes.

Ghanamps.com

The Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Bagbin has served notice that the grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre will serve as the meeting place as the House has been recalled back after the indefinite suspension.

A statement from the Speaker’s office on Thursday, December 12, 2024 indicated that the seventh meeting of the fourth Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic will hold on Monday, December 16, 2024.

In an earlier visit to the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 Ghanamps.com reporter observed work ongoing steadily in preparation to receive members of Parliament elected for the 9th Parliament.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com