Armed Military men invaded Parliament of Ghana during chaotic election of New Speaker of 8 th Parliament of the 4 th Republic in Ghana. Ruling NPP Government-instigated military invasion of Ghana Parliament was unconstitutional , unacceptable and an illegal attempt to use force or fear tactics to gain advantage in the very loud , noisy and chaotic election of Speaker for the 8 th Parliament of the 4 th Republican dispensation. NDC Members of Parliament Elect stood up to invading Armed Military men with patriotic songs. That they will resist Oppressors Rule. And forced the highly armed Soldiers out of the Chamber of Parliament. Meanwhile NPP Members of Parliament Elect were motionless , unconcerned , sat just looking on and apparently enjoying the spectacle of Armed Military Invasion of the Legislature/Parliament. The election process started midnight on Wednesday , chaired by Clerk of Parliament. This was after dissolution of 7 th Parliament of the 4 th Republic at midnight. And the need to constitute/inaugurate new 8 th Parliament of the 4 th Republic in Ghana. To enable swearing into office , on Thursday , January 7 , incumbent President Akufo Addo , controversially declared President Re-Elect and winner of December 7 , 2020 Presidential Election in Ghana. An Election Petition filed by main Opposition NDC Presidential Candidate , Former President John Dramani Mahama , on December 30 , at Supreme Court of Ghana is seeking the Supreme Court to declare the declaration of incumbent President Akufo Addo as Re-Elected President of Ghana , by Jean Mensa , Chairperson of Ghana Electoral Commission , as Unconstitutional and Null and Void. That no Presidential Candidate got 50 + 1 % of Total Valid Votes , Constitutionally Necessary , to win the December 7 , 2020 Presidential Election. And that there must be a re-run of Ghana Presidential Election. Supreme Court of Ghana shall sit on the Election Petition soon after inauguration of incumbent President Akufo Addo as Re-Elected (Controversially Re-Elected) President of Ghana. Just before start of voting to select a new Speaker of Parliament , a motion was made by Afenyo Markins and supported by Osei Kyei Mensa Bonsu , two of Akufo Addo's Ruling NPP Members of Parliament Elect , asking to know whether the Clerk of Parliament had received a Court injunction preventing one Member of Parliament Elect from major Opposition NDC from being sworn in as member of 8 th Parliament. The motion was an attempt to use the Clerk of Parliament , Chairman of the proceedings , to prevent an NDC member of Parliament Elect from voting in the Election of New Speaker of 8 th Parliament. Numbers of Members of Parliament Elect are 137 for New Patriotic Party (NPP), 137 for the major Opposition Party , National Democratic Congress (NDC) , and 1(one) independent Member of Parliament Elect. After several hours of confused , loud and noisy conduct and debate on attempt by the NPP to deny one NDC member of Parliament Elect his right to vote , it was later established and accepted that the Clerk had no mandate constitutionally to make any ruling on Voting Rights of duely elected member of Parliament. Selection of the Speaker according to the Constitution is by secret ballot. Unfortunately the Election had to be interrupted sometimes violently , several times and re-started beacuse the NDC would not allow NPP Members of Parliament Elect to violate Secret Voting. Eventually at the end of voting Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin , NDC Candidate for Speaker , won by 138 votes. Whilst NPP candidate for Speaker Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye lost with 136 votes. There was one spoilt ballot. Opposition NDC candidate for Speaker of 8 th Parliament , Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin , was declared winner by the Clerk. And sworn into office by the Chief Justice of Ghana. New Speaker of Parliament Honourable Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin is Ghana's Longest-Serving Parliamentarian. With about 28 years of Rich Parliamentary and Governance Experience. He is a Lawyer and has held various high positions in Government. He is said to be fair minded. Inauguration of New Parliament was made and Controversially declared President Re-Elect Nana Akufo Addo , incumbent Ghana President , and his Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia were also sworn into office , few hours later , inside the Parliament Complex by Chief Justice of Ghana. Ghana has been ridiculed , severely wounded and very much disgraced by unruly activities of Members of Parliament Elect inside Parliament before , during and after election of a new Speaker of Parliament in the early hours of January 7 , 2021. At least a Member of Parliament Elect , Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah of NPP , was captured on Video stealing or seizing ballot papers from the Clerk , on realizing that NPP (his Party) had lost the Vote , and was seen chased for the ballot papers by another Member of Parliament Elect , Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak ( of NDC) inside the Parliament Chamber. NPP Lady member of Parliament Elect , Ursula Owusu-Ekuful , was shown on Video fighting with a male NDC colleague , Kwabena Mintah Akandoh , over sitting arrangement in Parliament. And the lady found forcibly sitting on the lap of her male colleague in protest. Others were found pushing , insulting and vigorously heckling themselves. The Chaotic atmosphere in Parliament was very disappointing , dishonorable and insane. And totally unparliamentary , unacceptable and condemnable in strongest terms possible. It was highly immoral , so very dirty and most unhealthy for democractic development of a Nation and her Citizens. And specially ugly and very bad example for the youth of Ghana and everywhere on the planet. Members of Parliament involved in the shameful behavior must apologize to the peoples in the Country and the International Community for their transgressions. They should also submit themselves freely for counselling and Psychological Examination and Help. Each Parliamentarian , on the Day of Great Abomination , Misconduct and Total Disgrace in Ghana Parliament , must visit his or her constituency and explain to them what really went wrong. And learn from the Constituents on the way forward to prevent such Shameful , Irrational and Very Sad Occurrence from happening again in future. December 7 , 2020 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections were marked by much violence , Chaos , snatching of ballot boxes containing Votes and shooting incidents in a number of places across Ghana. These events culminated into Election Insecurity , Confusion and Deaths of at least 7 innocent Civilians and one Police Officer. Many more were injured and hospitalized for fatal gunshot wounds and psychological or emotional trauma. Never in recent history of Ghana has so much violence , fear , mistrust and large scale involvement of Security Forces been applied or used in conduct of Ghana Elections as was witnessed before , during and after the December 7 , 2020 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections. Armed Military invasion of Parliament Chamber , Confusion and Utter Chaos before , during and after Election of the Speaker of 8 th Parliament of 4 th Republic could be fairly described as miniature picture of part of what really transpired before , during and after the December 7 , 2020 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in Ghana. Highly Dented , mangled and soiled image of Ghana will take a very long time , special seriousness and hardworking by stakeholders to heal or redeem completely.
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