The Second Deputy Majority leader of parliament, Mr Matthew Nyindam, on Wednesday, 6 February 2019 moved a motion on the floor of parliament asking the Minority to apologise to the newly-elected Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Lydia Alhassan for describing her as a ‘bloody widow’.
He backed his motion with Standing Order 93(2) which says that “it shall be out of order to use offensive, abusive, insulting, blasphemous or unbecoming words or to impute improper motives to any member or to make allusion.”
The Minority MPs said they boycotted Ms Alhassan’s investiture because they did not want to give credence to her victory in the by-election on Thursday, 31 January 2019, which was characterised by violence.
Before staging the walkout, the Minority MPs brandished placards on the floor of the house, some of which read: “Bloody widow”.
Heavily-armed National Security operatives shot and wounded supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress at the private residence of the party’s candidate about an hour into the by-election.
But responding to the motion, the Deputy Minority Leader James Averdzi Klutse said the message on the placards were not words uttered nor speech made by any member.
He also said as of the time of that description, Ms Alhassan had not been sworn in, therefore, it was not covered under that standing order.
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