In Ghana’s parliament on Wednesday night, opposition leaders clashed, triggering military action.
In order to choose the next parliament speaker, lawmakers voted. Chaos erupted when a ruling party lawmaker attempted to steal the ballot box.
The resulting confrontation lasted several hours before the army stepped in, with the drama being broadcast live on national television.
There was a complete breakdown of law and order,”There was total breakdown of law and order” (NDC).
“Looking at a member of parliament and a minister of state snatching ballot papers… was so shameful.”
After calm had been restored, Alban Bagbin, an opposition MP and a veteran politician, was elected speaker of the Fourth Republic.
The MP for the Nadowli Kaloe constituency of the Upper West region, one of the oldest serving legislators, voted 138 votes against the option of the governing New Patriotic Party and 136 against his predecessor, Aaron Mike Ocquaye, with one MP failing to vote.
Bagbin is the first Speaker of Parliament who has not been chosen by the ruling party.
After protesting the election results, more than a dozen opposition MPs were charged with unlawful gathering on Monday.
Educator, writer and legal researcher at Alafarika for Studies and Consultancy.