The day heavens fought with Ghana's 8th Parliament for Ghanaians—JDM should reconsider Election Petition

With Bagbin elected as the 8th Speaker of Parliament in the 4th Republic, former President and Presidential Candidate for 2020 election, Mr. John Mahama is supposed to use the goodwill leeway of collaborative spirit Ghanaians are hoping for to withdraw the Presidential Petition laid before Supreme Court on 30th December 2020.

This is the superb providential way for him to maintain favour restored to him in Ghana by the 2020 election. And more importantly to lead NDC to fight for sustainable justice.

Sustainable Justice in elections or election 2020 is not selfishly or parochially about John Mahama or Nana Addo becoming President only or who wins. But also and more importantly seeking justice for the victims of killings and perpetrators of elections infractions and irregularities that lead always to election petitions. Especially, the temporary Presiding and Returning Officers of EC.

The Heavenly descended to end the character of the 7th Parliament in order to restore the vibrations of the 8th Parliament and the year 2021 which marks the Epic Transformation for Ghana.

Parliament is a model reflection of our society as Ghanaians. Parliament is also the assembly point of the Government and Ghanaians. Parliament depicts the nature of our political character and democratic endeavors.

THE CHARACTER OF 7TH PARLIAMENT DEPICTED

The jostling for seats demonstrated by Ursula Owusu and Peter Akando depicts the fact that the laws are not respected but get the seat or power by any fowl or bully means.

The perception or reality of vote-buying coupled with distrust posturing of NPP MPs who wanted to have their bully way, informs the ramifications of total disregard of laid down procedures, laws, and regulations of secret voting per article 104(4) and Standing Orders of Parliament. The attitude depicts the Tyranny of the Majority in Parliament phenomenon without consensus-building.

The NDC MPs Muntaka and John Jinapor insisting on secret voting and not having the consent of a weak Clerk of Parliament and Chairman to bring order took the law into their hands by snatching the ballot box and vandalizing the voting booth to halt the voting process.

This is the unacceptable attitude of property destruction amidst disagreements in our political Discourses. The consequences of those with authority to pronounce justice but fail to do so either being weak or politically biased will be resisted.

The invasion of armed military and police in Parliament to bring order and to protect property was a step in the right direction and they acted as such. But it was a high risk to our democracy if they have acted unprofessionally to intimidate MPs it would have been worst in Parliament.

Carlos Ahenkora crowns the tactics and masterminds of disrupting counting and snatching of sheets that have been what we always witness in our elections. The real instructors of elections infractions in full glaringly display.

The consensus-building and collaboration among Osei Kyei Mensah, Haruna Iddrisu, and Clerk of Parliament and the ensuing calmness in Parliament is the way forward.

Their actions depict positive energies that the 8th Parliament should adopt for the greater good of Ghanaians.

We cannot deny and play the ostrich about the fact that Parliament depicted who and what we do with our political life and democratic endeavors.

As a matter of fact, the Angels fought with the 8th Parliament until daybreak in order to end extreme partisanship and the Winner-Takes-All nature of majority in Parliament in order to birth the spirit of inclusiveness and collaboration. Just in the same manner as an Angel fought with Jacob till daybreak and finally had to change his name from supplanter to Israel in order to bless him.

I Commend all members of the 8th Parliament who showed passion to restore collaboration, inclusiveness, and consensus-building as better alternatives.

Also, the MPs finally honour such an astute long-standing member of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin as the Speaker is the birthing positive energy for the 8th Parliament. The decision was made after calmness was restored. So peace should always be sought before justice can be pursued.

The power of collaboration and inclusiveness coupled with the election of Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin are nature's wonderful way of warning Candidate John Mahama that it is still not too late to rescind his election petition. This is nature's leeway to help John Mahama to maintain the natural justice favour the governance and elections 2020 have bestowed on him.

I am afraid John Mahama's continuation will dis-align him and will not help his future political dignity. Rather leading NDC to seek justice for the victims and perpetrators is a higher political and moral grounds. Justice for market women who have lost economic assets due to glaring elections infractions by politicians is saddest.

The facts and propaganda of the petition will become clearer after the verdict by SC just like the New Voters Register propaganda in 2020.

The 8th Parliament should bring balance, patriotism, and renewal of virtues and aspirations of Ghanaians.

An unprecedented pointer of the 8th Parliament is the elevation of the Independent Parliamentary Candidate being nominated by NDC and seconded by NPP to become the 3rd Chairperson and 2nd Deputy Speaker of the 8th Parliament in the 4th Republic.

We hope the Parliamentary collaboration and inclusiveness should be geared towards positive development for Ghanaians and not Parliamentarians.

Congratulations 8th Parliament. John Mahama's gentle soul should hearken to this call to deeply reconsider the materiality of the petition.

Jacob Osei Yeboah

(JOY) 2012 & 2016 Independent Presidential Candidate.