Minority Members of Parliament walked out of the Chamber on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in solidarity with Damongo MP Samuel Abu Jinapor after Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin ordered the Parliamentary Marshal to escort him out for refusing to withdraw an unsubstantiated allegation about the sale of diplomatic passports.
The confrontation followed an objection by Majority Leader James Agalga, who challenged Mr Jinapor to substantiate the claim before the House or withdraw it.
Mr Jinapor, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, had asserted that he possessed “unimpeachable evidence” that diplomatic passports were being sold. He argued that addressing the allegation would serve the interests of the government, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Parliament and the country.
However, Mr Agalga objected to the statement, describing it as a serious allegation involving potential criminal conduct that required supporting evidence.
“He should be able to substantiate this allegation in order to make same admissible before this House,” the Majority Leader said.
Mr Agalga further characterised the claim as a “wild allegation” and requested that the offending portion of Mr Jinapor’s remarks be expunged from the parliamentary record.
Responding to the objection, Mr Jinapor maintained that his intervention was intended to assist the government. He argued that the allegation was already circulating publicly and should receive attention.
“We should not behave as ostriches and bury our heads in the sand,” he said.
He also claimed that a petition had been submitted to the United States Embassy concerning the extension of diplomatic courtesies to holders of Ghanaian diplomatic passports.
Speaker Bagbin intervened, directing the Damongo MP to withdraw the allegation because he had not presented supporting evidence to the House. He assured Mr Jinapor that withdrawing the statement would not prevent him from returning to raise the matter with evidence.
“The doors are open, but as at now, you have just made very serious allegations,” the Speaker said.
Although Mr Jinapor insisted that he had evidence, Mr Bagbin maintained that the material had not been brought before the House and warned him against debating the Speaker’s directive.
“Stop debating me. You either go by my direction, or I apply the rules,” the Speaker cautioned.
The exchange escalated when Mr Jinapor again repeated the substance of the allegation while ostensibly attempting to withdraw it. Mr Bagbin then ordered the Parliamentary Marshal to escort him from the Chamber.
“There must be discipline on this floor,” the Speaker declared.
Minority MPs subsequently left the Chamber in solidarity with their colleague, turning the dispute over the admissibility of his allegation into a caucus walkout.
