NDC Super Majority MPs Absent – Minority

Samuel Abu Jinapor

 

The Minority in Parliament has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Majority caucus of gross dereliction of duty despite commanding an unprecedented super majority in the House.

The criticism follows the invocation of Article 102 of the 1992 Constitution by the Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Iddrisu Habib, to stall parliamentary business because the House did not have a quorate number to commence business.

Yesterday, the House was thrown into controversy after only 81 Members of Parliament were counted in the chamber at the commencement of business, far short of the 92 required to meet the constitutional threshold for deliberations.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, described the development as an embarrassment to the legislature and a betrayal of the confidence reposed in the governing party by the electorate.

“The Ghanaian people gave the NDC 189 seats, a super majority, to ensure the business of government proceeds smoothly. But they cannot even produce 90 members to form a quorum,” he said.

According to him, never in the country’s Fourth Republic has a governing side held such an overwhelming numerical advantage, two thirds of the entire House, yet failed to meet its most basic obligation of attending parliamentary sittings.

“We have a Parliament where the Majority alone has the numbers to conduct government business without needing the Minority. They can take decisions, pass laws and approve government programmes on their own. And yet, day after day, they fail to turn up,” he lamented.

The Minority, he stressed, has consistently attended sittings and stands ready to support the passage of critical government business, but cannot “carry the burden of a Majority that is refusing to show up.”

He cited the day’s Order Paper, which included major agenda items such as matters relating to the scholarship scheme and other pressing national programmes, noting that these could not be addressed due to absent MPs.

Procedural Tensions in the Chamber

The issue first surfaced on the floor when Deputy Minority Whip Iddrisu Habib, who is also the MP for Tolon, invoked Article 102 of the Constitution, which sets the quorum requirement.

“Out of 276 MPs, we are only 70 in the chamber,” he pointed out, urging the Speaker to apply the constitutional rules.

The Speaker subsequently asked for verification of attendance and suspended business in line with Standing Orders.

As the situation unfolded, Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini pushed back, suggesting the Minority should also take responsibility.

“This House is not made up of only majority members. We expect the minority to be marshalled to be in the House as well,” he argued, insisting the Whip system must function on both sides.

Mr. Jinapor, however, countered that in the previous hung Parliament the then NDC Minority maintained near complete attendance, despite a much tighter numerical balance.

“When they were in opposition with 137 seats, they were in the House every day. Now they have power, and they are taking the Ghanaian people for granted,” he asserted.

A Question of Mandate and Discipline

The Minority argued that the problem is not isolated absenteeism but a pattern that undermines governance. To them, the NDC super majority, which was hailed as historic, is being wasted through indiscipline and complacency.

“This Majority has no excuse,” Mr. Jinapor insisted, adding, “Even if every minister stayed away because of government duties, they would still have enough MPs left to form quorum and transact business. Yet they fail repeatedly.”

He added that the situation risks eroding public trust in Parliament and delaying key policies and bills essential to national development.

By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House

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