News:
June 12, 2026
Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has clarified that he is not an appointee of President John Dramani Mahama, pushing back against what he calls a common misconception among Ghanaians.
According to Mr Bagbin, the Speaker is elected by fellow Members of Parliament – just as MPs themselves are elected by the Ghanaian people, not appointed by the presidency.
“But in the minds of Ghanaian citizens, they still refer to me as an appointee, and I have to keep on correcting them: I am not the President’s appointee. The Speaker is not appointed by the President,” he said.
He was quick to add that while the President may have a say on certain matters, that does not mean his view becomes the decision of the House.
“We have seen it in this House – in my case in the year 2021, the President’s say did not carry,” Mr Bagbin noted.
He stressed where his loyalties lie: “I owe my loyalty and allegiance to MPs and the nation. I do not have to listen to the President and what they will say. Yes, I can listen because it’s part of the conversation, but I am not bound by what they say. It’s not easy, but I have tried.”
The Speaker made these remarks when a committee set up to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court called on him to invite Parliament to the anniversary event.
Concerns over the Supreme Court’s stature
Rt. Hon. Speaker Bagbin also expressed concern that the Supreme Court is being turned into an ordinary court, with all manner of cases being brought before it – a trend he believes is lowering the value of the Court.
“Now the Court has been turned into a litigation place. There are some kinds of things that must end somewhere and must not come to the Supreme Court. We need to look at that, and there should be much thinking into it,” he said.
Touching on the ongoing constitutional review process, Mr Bagbin argued that judicial appointments require urgent attention.
“It is not a matter of appointment,” he said. “We do not need other people appointing who should be a judge or head of the judges. The Court should have the opportunity to do it themselves. That profession should have the opportunity to do it themselves.”
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com