Speaker was right, our leadership was wrong – Kennedy reacts to NPP’s boycott of Parliament

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs, including Assin Central’s outspoken representative, Kennedy Agyapong, did not participate in today’s parliamentary proceedings. Following the Speaker of Parliament’s decision to adjourn the session indefinitely, Agyapong shared his perspective on the situation with journalists, clarifying the events leading up to the unexpected absence of NPP MPs.

Agyapong explained that the NPP caucus had not intentionally boycotted parliament. Instead, they were in the middle of a crucial internal meeting, discussing party matters, when the decision to adjourn was made. He emphasized that the timing was unintentional, suggesting that a simple lack of communication between the NPP leadership and the Speaker led to the confusion.

“It was not deliberate that we will boycott parliament today,” Agyapong said. “What actually happened was that we wanted to get the understanding from the Speaker, so we were at the NPP caucus meeting when we heard that parliament had been adjourned indefinitely.”

According to Agyapong, the NPP meeting stretched on for longer than expected, leading to the Speaker’s decision to adjourn, assuming there was a lack of quorum. However, Agyapong highlighted that the Speaker likely was unaware of the ongoing caucus meeting. “I think that the Speaker is not aware that we are having such a meeting and I am not part of the leadership, so I can’t say anything about that to the Speaker.”

Agyapong, who is known for his candid approach, believes the situation could have been avoided if NPP leadership had kept the Speaker informed about their caucus meeting. “If our leadership should have engaged the Speaker, this wouldn’t have happened,” he remarked, acknowledging that, in this case, “the Speaker is right, and the NPP leadership should have informed him that we were having a meeting.”

This incident raises questions about communication and coordination within Parliament, as well as between party leadership and parliamentary authorities. Some political analysts have voiced concern that such incidents, if left unchecked, may erode public confidence in Parliament’s effectiveness. Agyapong’s comments suggest that the NPP will be cautious in avoiding similar misunderstandings in the future, especially as the country approaches critical parliamentary and presidential elections.

You can also watch the video through the link below: