Habib Iddrisu, Member of Parliament for Tolon and First Deputy Minority Whip, says a recent press conference by the Minority was intended to account to the people of Ghana and draw attention to what he described as the government’s abuse of parliamentary processes.
Speaking at the briefing, Iddrisu said the current Parliament’s first sitting in 2026 provided an opportunity to reflect on the conduct of the governing majority in the previous year. He argued that the government came into office on the back of numerous promises, many of which he described as unrealistic or deceptive, and which have yet to materialise.
According to Iddrisu, a key concern is the majority’s repeated use of the certificate of urgency to rush legislation through Parliament. He said that in 2025 alone, about 33 bills were laid under certificates of urgency, with some later withdrawn or returned for amendment shortly after being passed.
“The hasty nature of the majority and the irrelevance of their so-called super majority is worrying,” he said, adding that Parliament requires time to scrutinise legislation properly in the national interest.
Iddrisu described the practice as an abuse of democratic processes, arguing that while parliamentary rules allow for urgency procedures, they are meant to be applied selectively and based on genuine necessity. He questioned the urgency attached to several bills, including those establishing or amending universities, and asked what emergency justified their accelerated passage.
He noted that although committees are empowered under Parliament’s Standing Orders to determine the urgency of bills, the majority routinely uses its numerical strength on the floor to push legislation through.
“As Deputy Minority Whip, I have raised this issue repeatedly,” Iddrisu said. “The majority is abusing both the certificate of urgency and the mandate given to them by the Ghanaian people.”
He said the Minority’s engagement is aimed at preparing the public for what it expects to be a different parliamentary narrative in 2026, with increased scrutiny and accountability.