Minority walks out after Speaker has Abu Jinapor removed over diplomatic passport claim

The Minority caucus walked out of Parliament on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in solidarity with the Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, after Speaker Alban Bagbin had him removed from the chamber for refusing to withdraw an unsubstantiated allegation about diplomatic passports.

Mr Jinapor, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, alleged on the floor that diplomatic passports are being sold, including for GH¢50,000 and $10,000, to people who do not qualify for them under the Constitution.

The Majority Leader, James Agalga, objected, saying the claim was not backed by facts. The Speaker asked Mr Jinapor to withdraw it and told him he would be free to raise such an allegation once he came with evidence.

Mr Jinapor declined, and Mr Bagbin directed the Marshal of Parliament, who heads security in the House, to take him out. The MP was later seen packing his books and leaving the chamber.

His colleagues on the minority side soon followed him out.

Addressing the press after the walk-out, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said the caucus stands solidly behind Mr Jinapor and cannot disown him for his comments. He described the Speaker’s decision as “harsh, high-handed and unfair,” and as unparliamentary.

The incident comes amid growing criticism from the Minority over how Ghana’s diplomatic and service passports are issued.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has questioned the issuance of service passports to six people whose positions it says were wrongly described or did not exist, and has petitioned the United States Embassy to suspend recognition of the affected passports pending verification.