The Minority in Parliament staged a dramatic walkout on Tuesday during the swearing-in of the ruling National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) Ewurabena Aubynn, the newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma North.
They walked out after the Speaker of the House, Alban Bagbin, prevented them from making comments prior to the swearing-in ceremony. According to the Speaker, comments could only be made after the ceremony.
The Minority declined this directive and staged a walkout.
After the rerun on July 11, the Minority have been challenging the legitimacy of her victory, which they claim was marred by electoral irregularities and violence.
The rerun was ordered to conclude the long-contested 2024 parliamentary election in the constituency. Her victory increases the NDC’s strength in Parliament to 184 seats, alongside four independents and 86 seats held by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The Minority has accused the NDC of electoral malpractice, alleging that the party manipulated the rerun process to overturn the NPP’s initial lead in the constituency. They also cited incidents of violence and intimidation that characterised the rerun, insisting that the process was neither free nor fair.
Ablekuma North became a flashpoint during the 2024 general elections when clashes between supporters of the two major parties led to disruptions in several polling stations. The Electoral Commission subsequently annulled results in those areas, citing procedural breaches and security concerns, and called for the rerun to ensure electoral credibility.
Despite the walkout, the swearing-in ceremony proceeded under the supervision of the Speaker, who urged the new MP to be diligent, disciplined, and dedicated to her constituents.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
