Speaker Alban Bagbin Adjourns Parliament Indefinitely After Dismissing Minority Motion for Narcotics Probe

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has adjourned the House indefinitely following his dismissal of a Minority-sponsored motion for a bipartisan inquiry into major international narcotics seizures linked to Ghana. The emergency sitting, convened on September 29, 2025, was triggered by reports of a massive 3.9-metric-tonne cocaine haul in Dunkirk, France, and a 320-kilogramme methamphetamine seizure in Australia—both involving shipments purportedly originating from Ghana. Speaker Bagbin ruled the motion inadmissible, arguing that a parliamentary investigation would overlap with ongoing criminal proceedings and could potentially prejudice the outcomes of pending judicial cases. He emphasized that while Parliament retains oversight responsibilities, procedural rules prevent interference with matters currently before the courts.

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has vehemently rejected the Speaker’s ruling, describing it as a "setback for democracy" and an attempt to weaken the legislature's constitutional oversight. Afenyo-Markin accused the Majority and the Speaker of using the sub judice rule to shield state institutions from accountability. The Minority argued that the proposed Ad Hoc Committee was not intended to determine individual criminal liability but to evaluate the effectiveness of public institutions and cargo inspection systems. The Minority Caucus maintained that the relationship between court proceedings and parliamentary oversight should allow for institutional inquiries that do not infringe upon specific legal trials.

The demand for a probe stems from growing concerns over Ghana’s reputation, with the Minority noting that drug consignments worth over $1 billion have been intercepted internationally in the past 18 months. Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee, highlighted that these significant busts are often only reported by foreign authorities, suggesting a failure in local profiling and scanning. The Minority is now demanding full transparency and the release of data on all narcotics seizures, arrests, and prosecutions since January 2025, alleging that weak enforcement systems and possible collusion within state agencies are fueling trafficking.

With Parliament now adjourned until further notice, the standoff has left the country’s legislative business in a state of uncertainty. Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin has pledged to explore other constitutional options and Standing Orders to ensure the inquiry proceeds, asserting that the caucus will not let the matter rest. While the Speaker clarified that the rejection was procedural and not a judgment on the allegations themselves, the impasse underscores the deepening tension between the executive's security apparatus and the legislature's mandate to hold state institutions accountable for national security lapses.