Furniture Destroyed as Ghana Lawmakers Clash During Ministerial Vetting

Chaos erupted in Ghana’s parliament late Thursday night as lawmakers from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) clashed violently during a session to vet ministerial nominees.

Police were called to restore order after MPs shoved each other, destroyed furniture, and damaged microphones in a dispute over procedural delays.

The tensions stemmed from the vetting of three NDC lawmakers nominated for ministerial roles by President John Mahama, who was inaugurated in January 2025 following the NDC’s victory over the NPP in December elections.

The session turned hostile when opposition MPs, led by NPP’s Alexander Afenyo-Markin, spent over five hours questioning Samuel Nartey George, the communications minister designate.

NDC members accused Afenyo-Markin of intentionally prolonging the process to pressure George into retracting past criticisms of former NPP leaders Nana Akufo-Addo and Mahamadu Bawumia.

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“This was totally unacceptable,” said the vetting committee’s chairman on Friday, apologizing to the public for the brawl. He condemned the violence but did not specify disciplinary measures.

Afenyo-Markin defended the opposition’s actions, stating parliamentary rules allow members “the opportunity to enquire deeply into every nominee of the president, without limit to questions.” He accused the NDC of attempting to “frustrate” legitimate scrutiny.