News:
November 18, 2025
Former Minority Leader and now Speaker of the ninth Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has set the records straight on his role as then Minority leader pointing out that he never raised his voice like the current Minority leader Kwamen Afenyo-Markin is doing.
According to him, a lot of references have been made to him when people question the conduct of the Minority Leader Afenyo Markin on the floor of the House, especially because he (Afenyo-Markin) says he is taking inspiration from him, Alban Bagbin as then Minority Leader.
“Go and read my record, I never raised my voice on the floor trying to show grandeur; I study the political environment and tested the pulse of the people and play along. I did not do what you are doing, and everybody can go and read and check that it was only on one occasion”
He recounted that he only raised his voice on the floor of the House when the then Speaker Rt. Hon Peter Ala Adjetey came and read a statement attacking him personally that he rose up so to give his side of the story, and he would not allow him. Then Majority leader Papa Owusu Ankomah stood up and said once his (Bagbin’s) name was mentioned, by their standing orders he (Bagbin) had the right to reply, and he shouted at him and ordered him to sit down.
It was during that moment he (Bagbin) took his book and left for his office. “My colleagues did not follow me; they continued to stay in the chamber to do the work of parliament”, he added.
According to him, it was in his office that few journalists came with cameras led by the Ghana Television and questioned him on why he moved out of the chamber. And that was when he gave his side of the story and, “I said if this is how the Speaker was going to go about things on the floor, I would go after him; and that caught the attention of the whole nation”, he said during the launch of a scholarship scheme for Members of Parliament and Parliamentary Service Staff.
Rt. Hon. Speaker, however, indicated that later when he met and I told the Speaker of accusing him without basis, he pleaded with him and urged him to tone down his. “I am saying this because this had been referred to by many people a lot of times”, he added.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com