Mahama’s Agalga announcement procedurally wrong - Bagbin • NDC writes to Speaker

Ghana's Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has asserted that President John Dramani Mahama's announcement of Mr. James Agalga as the new Majority Leader was procedurally flawed. The Speaker emphasized that the announcement contravened the Standing Orders of Parliament, which dictate the specific process for leadership changes within the Majority and Minority caucuses.

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The communication says acting because the President has no authority to communicate the change of the leadership of the House to the Speaker. And so it was done in error. This matter has come before the House a number of times. As a result, even in our current Standing Orders, we had to define the two terms, Majority and Minority Leader.

According to Mr. Bagbin, any alteration in the leadership of these caucuses requires a formal notification to the Speaker from the General Secretary of the involved political party. He clarified that the Standing Orders define the Majority Leader as a Member of Parliament designated by the Majority Caucus to lead them in the House. Therefore, he urged the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to follow the established procedure and officially inform his office before Mr. Agalga could be recognized as the new Majority Leader.

This clarification came as Parliament reconvened to address urgent government business, following a request from President Mahama. Mr. Bagbin pointed out that the President's communication was erroneous because he lacked the authority to inform the Speaker about leadership changes within the House. He noted that this issue had arisen previously, prompting a clearer definition of 'Majority Leader' and 'Minority Leader' in the current Standing Orders.

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Clearly, our Standing Orders say Majority Leader meaning a Member of Parliament designated by the Majority Caucus as their leader in the House. And, as you know, the practice is that the party, under the hand of the General Secretary, communicates that decision of the party to the Speaker.

Despite the Speaker's initial pronouncement, the NDC has since formally communicated Mr. Agalga's appointment to Mr. Bagbin. A letter dated August 24, 2026, signed by NDC General Secretary Mr. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, informed the Speaker of the decision, which followed consultations between party leadership and the Presidency. Mr. Kwetey expressed confidence in Mr. Agalga's ability to provide effective leadership for the Majority Caucus.

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I write on behalf of the Leadership of the National Democratic Congress to formally inform you that, following consultations between Leadership of the Party and the Presidency, Hon. James Agalga, Member of Parliament for Builsa North Constituency, has been appointed as the new Majority Leader of Parliament of the Republic of Ghana.