Parliament will reconvene from recess on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, following a formal summons issued by Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.

In a notice dated Thursday, September 24, the Speaker directed Members of Parliament to report to the Chamber at Parliament House in Accra at 12 noon.

The recall comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over a number of major narcotics seizures involving consignments linked to Ghana, with the Minority in Parliament calling for the House to scrutinise the circumstances surrounding the incidents.

The Speaker’s notice, however, did not specify the particular business or matters that Parliament will consider when it meets.

The notice stated: “Pursuant to Article 112(3) of the Constitution and Order 53 of the Standing Orders of the Parliament, I, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, hereby summon Parliament to sit on Tuesday, 29th September, 2026 at twelve noon at Parliament House, Accra.”

The summons follows a petition by the Minority seeking an extraordinary sitting to address what it considers urgent national security concerns arising from several major drug seizures linked to Ghana. The Minority invoked Article 112(3) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 53 of Parliament’s Standing Orders in its request.

At the centre of the concerns is the seizure by French authorities of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026. The cocaine was reportedly concealed in a container of plastic waste that had arrived in France from Ghana.

The Minority has also drawn attention to other narcotics-related seizures recorded since 2025, arguing that the series of incidents raises questions about Ghana’s port security, customs procedures, intelligence gathering and the effectiveness of institutions responsible for combating drug trafficking.

Among the other cases cited is the seizure of more than 3.3 tonnes of cocaine at Pedu Junction in March 2025. The Minority has also referenced the seizure of 866 parcels of suspected cocaine at a warehouse within the Tema Harbour enclave in August 2026, as well as a 320-kilogramme methamphetamine seizure in Australia involving a consignment reportedly traced to Ghana.

The Caucus wants Parliament to establish how the consignments were processed, inspected, cleared and exported from Ghana, while also seeking information on the companies and institutions involved and the progress of investigations into the cases.

It has called for relevant Ministers and officials from institutions including the Narcotics Control Commission, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority and National Intelligence Bureau to provide answers to Parliament.

The Minority is also seeking scrutiny of the country’s scanning, surveillance, intelligence and security systems at ports, airports and other entry and exit points, as well as the measures being taken to identify the financiers, organisers and networks behind major international narcotics operations.

The push for the recall had generated differing views among lawmakers. While the Minority argued that the scale and frequency of the seizures warranted an extraordinary sitting, some Majority MPs questioned the need to recall the entire House while investigations by the relevant state agencies were ongoing.

Wa West MP and Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Peter Lanchene Toobu, previously argued that existing parliamentary committees could investigate the matter without requiring the full House to return from recess. He pointed to the Defence and Interior, Transport, and Trade and Industry committees as having relevant oversight responsibilities.

With Speaker Bagbin now having formally summoned Parliament, the House is scheduled to meet at noon on September 29. The specific business for the sitting remains undisclosed in the Speaker’s notice, although the narcotics seizures and the Minority’s demand for parliamentary scrutiny are expected to form an important part of the discussions surrounding the recall.

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has criticised the alleged attempt by officers of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, describing the incident as a “retrogression” in Ghana’s democratic development. 

The controversy erupted on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the Accra High Court, shortly after Baffour Awuah had represented detained nurse Salomey Baffoe Awiti during a bail hearing.

According to reports, a woman believed to be an EOCO officer approached the MP as he was leaving the court premises and asked him to accompany her to the EOCO office. A confrontation subsequently occurred, with the MP eventually driving away from the premises while another vehicle reportedly followed him.

Reacting to the incident, Kpebu questioned the manner in which the alleged arrest was being pursued and argued that established parliamentary procedures should be considered when law-enforcement authorities require the presence of a sitting MP.

“It’s a retrogression in our quest for a better democracy. It’s a retrogression,” Kpebu said.

Kpebu calls for parliamentary procedure

Kpebu said his understanding of the relevant parliamentary and constitutional framework is that an investigative agency seeking the assistance or attendance of a sitting MP should communicate with the Speaker of Parliament, who can then engage the lawmaker and facilitate arrangements for the MP to appear before the investigators.

He argued that such procedures are important to prevent security institutions from being perceived as being used to intimidate or target lawmakers, particularly opposition MPs.

The lawyer also warned that political power is not permanent and urged those in government to consider the long-term implications of how state institutions are used.

EOCO gives a different account

EOCO has confirmed that its officers attempted to arrest Baffour Awuah but says they were acting within their statutory responsibilities as part of an ongoing investigation.

The Office said the MP had previously been invited on two occasions in February 2026 to assist with the investigation but did not honour the invitations. EOCO therefore said the attempted arrest was one of the lawful steps it took to secure his attendance.

The attempted arrest was unsuccessful after the situation escalated at the court premises.

Baffour Awuah has separately disputed the circumstances surrounding the operation, saying the woman who approached him did not provide evidence of her identity or produce an arrest warrant when he requested one. He said these circumstances led him to fear for his safety and drive away.

Incident triggers wider debate

The incident has since triggered calls for clarity over the procedures governing arrests and investigations involving sitting MPs, particularly when such actions occur within court premises.

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has also called on the Chief Justice to examine whether investigative agencies are permitted to enter court premises specifically to arrest suspects or accused persons.

For now, the competing accounts from EOCO and Baffour Awuah remain central to the controversy, while Kpebu’s intervention has intensified the debate over parliamentary privileges, law-enforcement powers and the protection of democratic institutions.

The Minority in Ghana’s Parliament has called on President John Dramani Mahama to direct his appointees to operate within the law following a reported attempt by officials of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest Manhyia South Member of Parliament Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the Accra High Court on Wednesday, September 23.

The reported incident occurred as the legislator attended proceedings involving the bail application of social commentator Salomey Baffoe, whom authorities reportedly accuse of abetting the publication of false information connected to content associated with the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account.

Important note: The report below is based on the information supplied in the user’s account. The specific circumstances of the alleged attempted arrest, including EOCO’s legal justification and whether a formal invitation was issued, require independent confirmation. A search conducted for corroborating reports did not produce sufficiently reliable results to independently verify all the claims.

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Reported incident at the Accra High Court

Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, a lawyer representing Salomey Baffoe, was at the High Court for proceedings concerning her bail application when persons identified as EOCO officials reportedly sought to take him into custody.

The precise circumstances remain unclear. It has not been established from the information available:

• Whether the MP had received a formal invitation from EOCO.

• Whether an arrest warrant or other legal authorization had been issued.

• The specific allegations or legal grounds on which the intended arrest was based.

• Whether EOCO formally confirmed that its officers were involved in the incident.

The reported confrontation allegedly escalated outside the court premises. Videos said to be circulating show an exchange between the legislator and a woman identified as an EOCO official, followed by a scuffle as Baffour Awuah attempted to leave in his vehicle.

The authenticity, full context and sequence of events shown in any circulated footage would need to be established through independent review and statements from the parties involved.

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Minority Leader calls on Mahama to act

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin criticised what he described as excesses by government officials and urged President Mahama to ensure that state institutions perform their duties lawfully.

He called on the President to reflect on the legacy of his administration and cautioned against conduct that could undermine public confidence in state institutions.

“Watch these excesses, enough is enough. Call your appointees to order because this is not the Ghana we want.”

Afenyo-Markin also stressed that the Minority was not opposed to accountability or the lawful work of state institutions.

“We are not against accountability and we always say that. We are not against any state institution going about its lawful duty as enshrined in any enactment or the Constitution.”

He added that institutions must be seen to be carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law.

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Accountability and the rule of law

The Minority’s position, as presented in the supplied statement, is that government agencies must be able to investigate allegations of wrongdoing while respecting constitutional safeguards and legal procedures.

The controversy raises several institutional questions:

These questions should be answered through official statements, court records and verified accounts rather than assumptions based solely on video footage or political commentary.

Salomey Baffoe case adds to tensions

The reported confrontation comes amid controversy surrounding the arrest and prosecution of social commentator Salomey Baffoe.

According to the account supplied, Baffoe faces an allegation of abetting the publication of false information in connection with material associated with the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account. The precise charges, evidence and procedural status would need to be confirmed through court documents or statements from the prosecution and defence.

Baffour Awuah’s involvement as her lawyer places the reported incident within an ongoing legal dispute. However, representation of an accused person does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing by either the lawyer or the client.

EOCO’s response remains necessary

At the time of the supplied account, EOCO had not issued a detailed public explanation of the reported incident.

An official response would be important to clarify whether:

1. Its officers were present at the court.

2. Any attempt was made to arrest or detain the MP.

3. An investigation or formal invitation involving Baffour Awuah existed.

4. The agency considers the conduct of its officials to have complied with applicable law.

The absence of a detailed response should not be interpreted as confirmation of either the Minority’s allegations or the reported actions of the officials.

Political and institutional implications

The incident has the potential to intensify debate about the relationship between law-enforcement agencies, Parliament and the executive branch.

The Minority’s demand places responsibility on the President to ensure that appointees and state institutions respect legal boundaries. The government and EOCO would have an opportunity to respond with their own accounts and clarify whether the reported conduct was authorized and lawful.

An independent assessment must distinguish between verified events, allegations made by political actors and legal conclusions that can only be reached through established procedures.

Conclusion

The reported confrontation involving Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has prompted the Minority to demand presidential intervention and greater adherence to due process. The central issue is not whether state agencies should investigate suspected offences, but whether such actions are conducted transparently, lawfully and with respect for constitutional protections.

Until EOCO, the affected MP and other relevant authorities provide detailed accounts, important questions about the intended arrest, the legal basis for the action and the events outside the court remain unresolved.

New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicator Solomon Kusi Appiah has raised serious concerns over recent cocaine-related controversies, alleging that the successful movement of large quantities of narcotics from Ghana points to possible complicity or failures within the country’s security system.

In a studio discussion at Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Kusi Appiah insisted, if a full container of narcotics could allegedly leave Ghana before being intercepted in France, then questions must be asked about how the consignment was able to pass through Ghana’s security structures and whether some officials facilitated its movement.
“If a full container of narcotics was able to be shipped from Ghana and was arrested in France, then some officials have a hand in it,” he alleged.

Kusi Appiah, who has previously been identified publicly as a member of the NPP’s communications team, argued that the Akufo-Addo administration left behind a robust security system designed to make it difficult for cocaine traffickers to operate.
He claimed that drug dealers have now realised that the system is “porous,” which, in his view, explains the growing number of narcotics cases being recorded.

He further accused the current NDC administration of failing to maintain the security structures it inherited.
Kusi Appiah also questioned whether President John Mahama has sufficient control over the system, while accusing the NDC government of failing to live up to its obligations to Ghanaians.

He further challenged the NDC over its response to the cocaine controversy, asking when the party came to the conclusion that narcotics trafficking should be treated as a national concern rather than an issue for partisan political attacks.

According to him, the growing international attention surrounding cocaine cases allegedly connected to Ghana risks damaging the country’s reputation abroad.
“NDC has destroyed the reputation of Ghana, and it is not good,” he alleged.

The claims concerning government officials’ involvement and the circumstances surrounding the alleged narcotics shipment remain allegations in Kusi Appiah’s remarks and are not established as fact here.

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Former Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro NDC parliamentary candidate Alexander Ackuako has waded into the growing political debate over narcotics trafficking in Ghana, accusing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of politicising the issue instead of supporting a united national response.

In a deliberation on Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Ackuako argued that the NPP lacks the “moral right” to attack the current government over recent narcotics cases, pointing to drug-related controversies that occurred during previous NPP administrations.

His remarks come amid renewed exchanges between the NPP and NDC over recent cocaine interceptions and Ghana’s drug-enforcement system.

He referenced the case of former Nkoranza North MP Eric Amoateng, who was arrested in the United States in 2005 and later convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison over heroin-related offences and Frank Samson, an NPP an affiliate who was recently busted with cocaine traficking issues.

In lieu of this, he questioned why the NPP would demand that the Interior Minister be sacked instead of commending the government for making arrests of cocaine dealers.

According to Ackuako, drug traffickers can be wealthy, influential and capable of cultivating relationships with people in authority, making political division over narcotics enforcement dangerous.
He therefore urged both major political parties to focus on how criminal networks infiltrate institutions rather than trading accusations.
“When drug dealers realise we are divided in tackling the cocaine saga, they will take advantage of the situation,” he cautioned.

Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission has recently said it is intensifying intelligence-led operations, forensic investigations and cross-border cooperation to combat increasingly sophisticated trafficking Network.