Speaker Bagbin adjourns Parliament indefinitely as Majority Caucus fails to show up

Accra, Ghana - Nov 7, 2024 - Ghana's Parliament has been adjourned indefinitely by Speaker Alban Bagbin due to the lack of business for lawmakers to deliberate on. The recall session, initiated by the Majority caucus, aimed to address critical issues but stalled due to the absence of the Majority caucus in the Chamber.

Reasons for Adjournment

- Failure of the Business committee to meet and prepare the necessary agenda
- Lack of committee input and agenda, hindering proceedings
- Empty Chamber, despite having a quorum to sit

Speaker Bagbin's Statement

“Matters that they wanted us to handle, which I admitted for consideration from the business committee, are not on the Order Paper and in fact, there is no order paper for today because the business committee could not meet due to the absence of the people who requested for the recall.

“As you can see one side of the House is completely empty. In view of this, we have a quorum to sit but we have no business before us to transact. In the absence of that, there is no other authority that can put business before you that you have not adopted to transact.

“In view of the failure of the business committee to sit, as a result of the refusal of those who requested a recall to show up, we are compelled to once again adjourn the sitting of the house. Knowing the challenges we are facing, it is not advisable to be adjourning from day to day. So, I will proceed once more to adjourn the meeting indefinitely,” he stated.

Impact of Adjournment

- Uncertainty surrounds when Parliament will reconvene 
- Legislative agenda for this session in flux 
- Ongoing tensions between Majority and Minority caucuses continue

The tensions between the two caucuses have been escalating, with the Minority Caucus occupying seats traditionally held by the Majority, and the Supreme Court intervening in the dispute over parliamentary seats.

Source: Lead News Online