Ayariga Trolls Minority Over Rapid Approval of Estimates

Parliament’s Majority side swiftly approved the 2026 budget estimates on Tuesday, a process facilitated by the Minority Caucus’s decision to walk out in protest, according to Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga.

The approvals took place amidst heightened security, with parliamentary marshals, aided by some Majority MPs, preventing Minority members from disrupting proceedings. This followed an earlier protest by the Minority concerning the declaration of the Kpandai seat as vacant, which nearly escalated into a physical altercation.

Despite the chaotic scenes, the Majority successfully adopted the budget allocation report, a crucial step in finalizing the 2026 fiscal policy. The Minority, however, has vowed to continue obstructing government business until the Kpandai seat issue is resolved, arguing the Speaker acted prematurely in communicating with the Electoral Commission while legal processes are ongoing.

In a pointed remark, Ayariga expressed gratitude to the Minority for their unintentional contribution to the smooth passage of the budget. “Mr Speaker, let me use this opportunity to thank my friends in the Minority. Their action has enabled a very speedy approval of the various estimates… We thank them very much for their non‑involvement. It has enabled us to move with dispatch and to approve all our estimates,” he stated.

Ayariga also commended the Speaker for maintaining order during the tense sitting, describing it as a test of parliamentary endurance. “In spite of the effort to undermine the execution of government business, you have kept the ship moving, and we have been able to successfully approve all the estimates we scheduled for today.”

He further reassured Ghanaians that the Majority remains committed to democratic principles, emphasizing their restraint despite possessing the numerical advantage. “Mr Speaker, we have the numbers. We could have done certain things, but we knew that this Fourth Republican Constitution is a product of the National Democratic Congress. No constitution in Ghana has endured like this one,” Ayariga explained.

Drawing a biblical analogy, the Majority Leader suggested the Minority attempted to provoke him. “David succeeded because Goliath allowed himself to be lured into using tools that David was more adept at. I could have used my numbers to vanquish this small Minority, but if I had fallen into their trap, I wouldn’t have succeeded in approving my estimates. So I refused to use their tools.”

The Tuesday sitting concluded with the Majority securing all its desired approvals, while the Minority reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying resistance regarding the Kpandai seat dispute.

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