Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, declared inadmissible a Minority motion seeking an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate a string of Ghana-linked narcotics seizures, including the 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine intercepted by French Customs at Dunkirk, and then adjourned the House until further notice.
The ruling came during an emergency sitting of Parliament. The Speaker said the proposed inquiry would overlap with cases already before the courts and could prejudice the parties involved.
The motion was filed on September 28 by First Deputy Minority Whip and Tolon MP Habib Iddrisu. It asked Parliament to examine how the narcotics consignments were “processed, inspected, cleared and exported from the country.”
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin described the outcome as “a sad day for our democracy” and said the caucus “will not let this matter rest.”
Why Bagbin ruled the narcotics probe motion inadmissible
Speaker Bagbin relied on Standing Orders 5, 6 and 103 (rule F) of Parliament. 3News reported that he also referred to Orders 192 and 233.
He said there was “substantial factual overlap between the proposed parliamentary inquiry and matters currently before the courts.”
According to the Speaker, the inquiry would require Parliament to “examine transactions, assess the conduct of various actors and determine why certain actions were taken or opposed at Ghana’s ports of entry.”
That, he said, would lead the House to “determine the very issues that the Court of Competent Jurisdiction is supposed to determine.”
What the Minority’s cocaine probe motion wanted
The Minority wanted an Ad Hoc Committee to look into how the shipments passed through Ghana, the security systems at the ports, and cooperation between Ghanaian and international law enforcement agencies.
The motion referred to these seizures:
- 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine seized by French Customs at Dunkirk on September 10, 2026, which 3News reported was valued at $261 million
- 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine intercepted by the Australian Border Force in June 2026
- Earlier cocaine interceptions at Takoradi and at Pedu in Cape Coast
Pressure for Parliament to act had been building for days. GhanaTrends earlier reported on Parliament being recalled over the 3.9-tonne cocaine seizure linked to Ghana.
Parliament adjourned after the ruling
When the Minority Leader tried to respond to the ruling, the Speaker stopped him. “You cannot react on what I have ruled,” Mr Bagbin said, according to 3News.
The House was then adjourned until further notice, ending the emergency sitting without a debate on the motion.
Afenyo-Markin reacts: “Today is a sad day for our democracy”
Speaking after the sitting, Mr Afenyo-Markin accused the Majority of working with the Speaker to block the probe.
“Today the Majority has once more used its super majority, with the support of Mr Speaker, to weaken Parliament,” he said.
He argued that the Speaker did not explain how cases in court “oust the constitutional jurisdiction of Parliament,” and said the rulings “have failed the integrity test required of Parliament to discharge its duties.”
The Majority’s position is that law enforcement investigations should be allowed to proceed before Parliament conducts any separate inquiry.
Other moments from the emergency sitting
At the same sitting, Walewale MP Dr Kabiru Tiah Mahama withdrew his description of the Speaker’s decision to recall Parliament as “rude.” “I would withdraw that word unreservedly, and I apologise for saying that,” he said.
Speaker Bagbin also cautioned that free speech must not become an excuse for threats, incitement or deliberate falsehoods, amid the national debate on regulating social media.
What the ruling means for Ghanaians
For now, there will be no parliamentary committee investigating how the drug consignments linked to Ghana passed through the country’s ports.
Public scrutiny of the cases will rely on the court proceedings and on investigations by security and law enforcement agencies.
What happens next
With the House adjourned until further notice, the Minority has no immediate floor to revive the motion. Mr Afenyo-Markin has signalled the caucus will keep pushing the matter.
The cases linked to the seizures remain before the courts. Official updates on the sitting and future business of the House are published by the Parliament of Ghana.
Key details at a glance
- Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026 (emergency sitting)
- Ruling: Minority motion for an Ad Hoc Committee declared inadmissible
- Rules cited: Standing Orders 5, 6 and 103 (rule F)
- Reason: Overlap with matters before the courts and risk of prejudice
- Motion filed by: Habib Iddrisu, Tolon MP and First Deputy Minority Whip, on September 28
- Key seizure: 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at Dunkirk, France, on September 10
- Outcome: Parliament adjourned until further notice
FAQs
Why did Bagbin reject the Minority’s cocaine probe motion?
The Speaker said the inquiry would overlap with cases already in court and could prejudice those proceedings. He cited Standing Orders 5, 6 and 103 (rule F).
Who filed the motion to probe the narcotics seizures in Parliament?
First Deputy Minority Whip and Tolon MP Habib Iddrisu filed the motion on September 28, 2026, on behalf of the Minority.
When will Parliament resume after the emergency sitting?
No date has been announced. Parliament was adjourned until further notice after the ruling on September 29.
Speaker Bagbin’s ruling ends, for now, the Minority’s push for a parliamentary inquiry into the 3.9-tonne cocaine seizure and other Ghana-linked drug busts. The Speaker says the courts must be allowed to do their work, while the Minority insists Parliament has been weakened and vows to keep the issue alive.
