The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has declared the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Caucus as the majority group in Parliament.
This according to the Speaker follows a letter by Andrews Asiamah Amoako, notifying him of his intention to side with the NPP caucus “for purposes of transacting business in the House.”
“Honourable members, with this official declaration to the House, the House will accord him (Asiamah Amoako) space to do as he had stated, ” the Speaker said after referencing the Fomena MP’s declaration.
“What we have now, you have the New Patriotic Party wing or caucus in Parliament together with the independent Member of Parliament from Fomena, and they now constitute the Majority group,” he said during the second sitting of the 8th Parliament, Friday, January 15.
NPP Members of Parliament mainly clad in white, burst into jubilation following the Speaker’s ruling on the matter.
It will be recalled that both the NDC and NPP had 137 seats amid the December 7 general elections.
The declaration by the Speaker brings an end to weeks of debate between the members of the two caucuses in Parliament on who can claim majority status.
With both the NPP and NDC having 137 members each, the NDC had argued that there will no longer be a majority or minority side.
Some NPP MPs arrived in Parliament early in Parliament to occupy the Majority side of House ahead of the first sitting of the 8th Parliament.
During the inauguration of the 8th Parliament, the National Democratic Congress MPs did same by arriving early to occupy the Majority side chamber.
Meanwhile, both parties are in court over the results from 16 constituencies after disputed poll results and have filed eight election petitions each at various High courts.
The NPP constituencies in dispute are the Buem, Kintampo North, Savelugu, Pusiga, Jomoro, Assin North, Banda and Krachi West.
The NDC, on the other hand, is challenging results in the Techiman South, Hohoe, Tano South, Tarkwa Nsuaem, Essikado Ketan, Tema West, Zabzugu and Sefwi Wiawso constituencies.
The Eighth Parliament of Ghana comprises 275 seats with the NPP and National Democratic Congress (NDC) having 137 seats each with the remaining seat belonging to the independent Fomena MP.
The leader of the NDC Caucus, Haruna Iddrisu, at a press briefing on Thursday, said the Fomena MP joining the NPP Caucus does not give them 138 or majority numbers in the 8th Parliament.
However, the leader of the NPP Caucus, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu addressing a counter-press conference said the backing of the Fomena MP gives his side an advantage.
According to him, as long as the Fomena MP maintains his position to sit with the NPP side of the House, the NPP will have more numbers than the NDC, hence, will be the majority in Parliament.
