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Harry Graphic Blog of Sunday, 5 January 2025
Source: Harry Graphic
In the lead-up to the speaker elections by parliamentatians, Ghan’s president elect John Dramani Mahama, who is the leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), instructed members of the party’s parliamentary caucus to nominate Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin as their candidate for Speaker of Parliament. Bagbin, a seasoned NDC politician and former Majority Leader, had been a significant figure within Ghana’s political landscape.
Mahama’s directive was part of the NDC’s broader strategy to secure leadership positions within the parliament following the 2024 elections, which resulted in an overwhelming parliamentary victory. The NDC was seeking to ensure that one of their own, Bagbin, would be elected Speaker, thus enabling the party to wield influence over the legislative agenda, given the tightly divided nature of the new parliament.
Bagbin was eventually elected Speaker of Ghana’s 8th Parliament on January 7, 2021, securing 138 votes against 136 votes for the New Patriotic Party’s candidate, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye. His election marked a significant moment in Ghana’s parliamentary history, as it was the first time in the Fourth Republic that a candidate from the opposition party had been elected Speaker.
