Governance expert and Executive Director of the African Parliamentary Network, Professor David Abdulai, has asked the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, to “crack the whip” on MPs who indulge in barbaric acts to disrupt parliamentary business.
According to him, even though the Speaker Bagbin has vowed to crack the whip on Members of Parliament (MP) who flout proceedings in the House and indulge in acts unworthy of legislators, he has failed to do so from previous situations.
He believes the Speaker’s failure to sanction MPs who misbehave in the House, such as the disruption of seats and microphones during the vetting of ministerial appointees earlier this year, is part of the reasons some of the lawmakers have been emboldened to act in the manner they did yesterday.
In a Tuesday, December 9, 2025 interview on TV3’s Ghana Tonight, Professor Abdulai said the House of Legislature is not the streets where rowdiness wins an argument, but a place where civility is expected to reign.
Prof. Abdulai stressed that the Speaker must punish MPs who act childishly in the chamber, to restore the House’s integrity and protect Ghana’s democratic standing globally.
“Speaking about cracking the whip is not enough. You must crack the whip. You must make examples of a few of those parliamentarians who are rowdy and do not understand that the business of the House is not about being rowdy. It’s not the streets,” he stated.
“If he doesn’t do that, it is going to continue,” he added.
He warned of repercussions for the state, saying Ghana risks becoming a global laughing stock if no action is taken.
“At the end of the day, it is Ghana that suffers. It is our legislative process that suffers and other countries will actually laugh at us. They’ll look at us as clowns. But it can all be brought to an end if you really say you’re going to crack the whip. Please, Mr. Speaker, do it, and do it without any fear,” he indicated.
Background
The Minority on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, disrupted proceedings over the Speaker’s directive for parliamentary business to continue, when the caucus had demanded that the House be adjourned since the ruling on the Kpandai seat vacancy had been deferred.
The sitting descended into chaos after Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, told Parliament that no government business should continue until the dispute over the Kpandai seat was resolved.
The Speaker, however, ruled after a voice vote that proceedings would go on. In protest, Minority MPs began chanting and trying to disrupt the session.
The situation escalated as the Minority legislators dressed in black and all in black face masks, stood and moved toward the front of the chamber, while some Majority MPs moved forward as well to prevent them from occupying the space. Both sides met in the middle, creating a tense standoff.
The chamber erupted into loud shouts and chants, with the Speaker repeatedly calling for order. Parliamentary marshals struggled to restore calm.
Despite the disorder, the Speaker continued with government business, keeping the House on schedule amid the disruption.
