Alban Bagbin likely to be named NDC candidate for Speaker of Parliament

• Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Ghana’s longest-serving legislator and Member of Parliament for Nadowli Kaleo in the Upper West Region, Alban S.K Bagbin is likely to be named as the candidate of speakership for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 8th Parliament.

According to sources, the proposal was made by the leadership of the NDC caucus in the House.

Mr. Bagbin is currently the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament of the soon-to-be dissolved 7th Parliament.

Citi News understands that the leadership of the front bench for the Minority caucus will remain unchanged.

This means Haruna Iddrisu will once again be chosen as the Minority Leader.

He will be deputized by James Klutse Avedzi (MP for Ketu North, Volta Region) as First Deputy Minority Leader.

The Minority Chief Whip position will be maintained by Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka (MP for Asawase, Ashanti Region).

Ibrahim Ahmed (MP for Banda, Bono Region) and Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe (MP for Ada, Greater Accra Region) are to remain as First and Second Minority Chief Whips respectively.

Ghana was left with hung Parliament after the 2020 polls with the NPP and National Democratic Congress all having 137 seats apiece in Parliament.

The two parties were joined by an independent candidate, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who won the Fomena seat.

Mr. Asiamah has said he will join the NPP to form a Majority in Parliament despite being kicked out of the party because he decided to run as an independent candidate.

There are also question marks over whether the NPP could end up with the Majority.

An interim injunction was granted restraining the Electoral Commission from gazetting the NPP’s John Peter Amewu as the MP for Hohoe following a lawsuit filed by residents in the Guan District who were not given the opportunity to vote in the December 7 parliamentary elections.

Eligible voters within areas in the newly created district, namely Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi, were only allowed to take part in the presidenial election on December 7, 2020.

The case will be settled tomorrow after the State challenged the order of the Ho High Court granting the injunction saying that the court did not have the capacity to hear the case.

Newly elected Members of Parliament are currently taking turns to register in Parliament.