Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has ruled that President John Dramani Mahama’s announcement of Builsa North MP James Agalga as the new Majority Leader was procedurally incorrect.
According to Mr Bagbin, the President does not have the authority to formally communicate a change in the leadership of a parliamentary caucus to the Speaker.
He explained that under Parliament’s Standing Orders, any change in the leadership of the Majority or Minority Caucus must first be communicated to the Speaker by the General Secretary of the political party concerned.
Mr Bagbin made the clarification when Parliament reconvened on Monday, August 24, 2026, stressing that the prescribed procedure must be completed before Mr Agalga can officially be recognised and accorded the courtesies associated with the position.
He said the Standing Orders define the Majority Leader as a Member of Parliament designated by the Majority Caucus as its leader in the House.
“The communication says acting because the President has no authority to communicate the change of the leadership of the House to the Speaker. And so it was actually done in error,” Mr Bagbin said.
He noted that the established practice requires the party, through its General Secretary, to formally communicate the leadership change to the Speaker after the decision has been taken by the caucus.
Mr Bagbin therefore explained why Mr Agalga had not yet assumed the position despite the President’s announcement.
“So the procedure today may look different. That is why you still see that the Majority Leader is still in his seat, because he’s still the Majority Leader, until otherwise communicated by the party and then decided by the caucus and the information passed on,” he added.
Mr Agalga was announced by President Mahama as the new Majority Leader, replacing Mahama Ayariga, who is expected to take up a new role in government.
The Speaker’s ruling means Mr Agalga will have to wait for the appropriate communication from the party and the formal decision of the Majority Caucus before he can officially take over as Majority Leader.
