Parliament abandoned sitting on Friday 16th June 2023 for lack of quorum as the House failed to constitute the required number to conduct business.
Majority members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) failed to show up in House but accompanied Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to file his nomination to contest the flagbearership of the party.
The House could not constitute the required 93 members needed to form a quorum to transact business.
This compelled the 1st Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei Owusu to adjourn the sitting to next week Tuesday.
As the time the Speaker walked into the Chamber, there were only two members on the Majority side and seven on the Minority side.
While the House was going through the votes and proceedings of the Thursday, Member of Parliament for Tema East, Isaac Ashai Odamtten, drew the attention of the Speaker on the inadequate number of members in the House.
Hon. Joe Wise then ordered the bell to be ringed to alert members. However, there were still inadequate numbers in the Chamber after the presentation of the Business Statement for the ensuing week.
A desperate attempt by Deputy Majority, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, to get the House to carry on instead incurred the chagrin of the Minority.
The Deputy leader indicated Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta was in the House to respond to some outstanding questions and appealed to the Speaker to rule against the Minority’s appeal and proceed.
MP for Akatsi South, Bernard Ahiafor, however warned the House must take note of the ruling of the Supreme Court in the Justice Abdulai case and the Constitutional provision of constituting quorum to conduct business.
The 1st Deputy Speaker, however, admitted the House did not have the appropriate numbers to proceed with business.
“There are 275 of us. At least 93 members should be present in the House to constitute the quorum but in this case minus the person presiding.”
“93 minus the member presiding is what is needed to constitute a quorum. Unless we have that number or members are prepared to overlook that. If not I am bound by the Constitution to bring proceedings to a close.”
Hon. Joseph Osei Owusu then proceeded to adjourn the House till next Tuesday.