Alhaji Ahmed M. Gedel, a former NDC Technical Advisor on Biometric Systems and representative to IPAC & UNDP, has written a scathing critique of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) recent demand for an emergency recall of Parliament, labelling it an act of hypocrisy and desperation.
Alhaji Gedel’s statement, titled “NPP’s Brazen Hypocrisy: Unpacking the Absurdity of Their Parliamentary Recall Demand,” argued that the NPP’s motives were not about urgent governance issues but more about political power plays.
The NPP’s parliamentary leadership submitted a letter to Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, citing urgent needs for action on tax exemptions for companies under the One District One Factory programme and the approval of a $250 million Ghana Financial Stability Fund aiming at boosting the country’s financial sector, as well as some bills to attend to upon its resumption. Alhaji Gedel, however, questioned the authenticity of these claims, suggesting that they were more of a smokescreen to undermine the Speaker’s authority.
The statement criticized the NPP for what Gedel described as a selective and inconsistent approach to constitutional adherence, accusing them of conveniently invoking constitutional provisions when advantageous while disregarding them at other times.
Alhaji Gedel, now the Deputy Zongo Caucus Coordinator in the US pointed out that Speaker Bagbin’s adjournment of Parliament was within his rightful powers, and the NPP’s demand for a swift seven-day recall disregards democratic protocols and the principle of separation of powers.
Alhaji Gedel’s article warns that the NPP’s actions threaten to disrupt Ghana’s democratic foundations, describing the recall request as a “frivolous attempt to usurp power.” The deputy zongo coordinator urged Speaker Bagbin to hold firm against what he perceived as an overreach by the NPP, which, according to him, is driven by partisan motives rather than genuine governance concerns.
The former NDC Technical Advisor on Biometric Systems concluded his statement with a broader appeal, suggesting that the outcome of this standoff would have significant implications for Ghana’s democratic trajectory. “The nation watches,” Alhaji Gedel said, underscoring the importance of preserving parliamentary integrity and democratic institutions in the face of political power struggles.
