Yussif Sulemana, the Member of Parliament for Bole, attributed the disruptions in Parliament on Tuesday, October 22, to what he describes as the arrogance of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs.
The situation led Speaker Alban Bagbin to adjourn Parliament indefinitely, sparking discussions on the ongoing divisions between the NPP and National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The incident occurred during a session where Legislative Instrument 2462 was set to be revoked.
The seating arrangement, typically reflecting the majority and minority parties based on representative numbers, became a point of contention. With the NDC’s current numerical edge following the Speaker’s declaration of four vacant seats, a debate ensued about which party should occupy the majority side.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV, Sulemana criticized the NPP MPs for what he viewed as an unwillingness to sit on the minority side, suggesting they viewed it as beneath them.
He argued that this attitude showed a sense of entitlement and resistance to their evolving role in Parliament, especially as the NDC had a stronger presence.
“My expectation was that the current Majority would accept their position as the Minority and we would assume our new position as the Majority. But instead, they acted as if sitting on the Minority side was beneath them,” Sulemana remarked.
He added that the NPP MPs’ reluctance to sit as the Minority appeared to be an attempt to avoid the embarrassment of their lower numbers, given that fewer than 50 were present.
On the NDC’s side, Sulemana noted that only three members were absent, all on official duties.
