The Majority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, has hailed the people of Ablekuma North for what he describes as a historic contribution to Ghana’s democratic development, following the swearing-in of Ewurabena Aubynn as the duly elected Member of Parliament for the constituency.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament moments after the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, Ayariga declared that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) now holds a two-thirds majority in the legislature, a pivotal threshold that empowers the ruling party to effect far-reaching constitutional reforms.
“It has been a long-drawn battle, but at long last, the people of Ablekuma North now have a Member of Parliament, and we are grateful to the Almighty God for making this happen,” Ayariga began, addressing the House.
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“But even more, we are grateful to the people of Ablekuma North for their resilience. They put up a fight starting from the night the election results were being put together, on the 7th of December, and they have been fighting since,” he added.
Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn’s election comes after months of legal disputes and electoral contention that delayed the final declaration of results in the hotly contested constituency. Her victory has now tipped the parliamentary scale decisively in favour of the NDC.
“She has fought a hard fight. She has demonstrated what women can do. Very few men can withstand the pressure that this young lady has withstood. With her addition to this House, the National Democratic Congress has had its number increased by one more,” the Majority Leader stated.
Two-thirds majority
Hon. Ayariga stressed that with Aubynn’s swearing-in, the NDC now commands two-thirds of the seats in Parliament, a political landmark with major legislative implications.
“Mr. Speaker, I think we now have — the NDC now has — two-thirds of the House. With this number, we can do many good things for this country. With this number, we can carry out significant constitutional reforms to make this country better,” he said.
He stressed, however, that the ruling party will not abuse its new supermajority.
“Ghanaians today have given us all the numbers that we need to reset Ghana. And indeed, Mr. Speaker, I want to assure Ghanaians that what President John Dramani Mahama said when he was being sworn in still stands: that the NDC will not abuse the majority given to it. We will use it wisely, we will use it properly, and we will make sure that these numbers endure to the benefit of Ghanaians.”
The Majority Leader heartily welcomed the new addition to the House and pledged the support of the NDC parliamentary caucus.