News:
September 12, 2025
The Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyon-Markin has acknowledged that the Minority is going through turbulent times, having been in office for eight years and lost elections is quite disappointing; but was quick to point out that they are inspired by history to work harder.
According to him the Majority side would not let the Majority to have their peace as they snatched one out of their initial eighty-eight (88) seats in a bye-election; “it is what it is, we are back to the might eighty-seven (87).
He made these remarks when the Baroness Chapman, the UK Minister for International Development paid a courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin at his conference room in Parliament House on Thursday, September 11, 2025.
He further pointed out that the Rt. Hon Speaker did not point out how difficult it is to be a Minority leader – a position he had occupied before and added that Members of Parliament in Ghana call him ‘father oo father’ because of his experience in the House. “Even if you are hurt, you are still happy because he has a way of managing you; despite being hurt you are happy”.
Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin indicated that the Minority draws a lot of inspiration from their friends in government today, led by the current Speaker going down memory lane in the 2000 election, it was the first time the then government has lost power since they transitioned from the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) during the military era.
According to him, the whole party was disoriented when they lost power; they did not know what to do, and the Speaker was brought in to lead within the first term of President John Agyekum Kuffour. In that period, the NDC lost all seven by-elections to the then ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), giving the government more seats.
“But they, in opposition then, did not give up. Led by the current Speaker as then Minority Leader, by 2004 they have reclaimed some key seats they had lost even in by- elections and by 2008 they were able to force a change in government.”
When there is history, you can only be inspired to work harder; Speaker has always said we have political disagreements; rightly so, because we cannot always agree, he added.
Kwaku Sakyi-Dnaso/Ghanamps.com