The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Effutu constituency in the Central region, Mr. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has been chosen as the new Majority Leader in Parliament.
The venerable Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu announced on the floor of Parliament on Friday that his Deputy was taking over from him.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who is also the Member of Parliament for Suame in the Ashanti and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs stepped down last Wednesday as the Majority Leader after occupying the position for the past seven years.
He had earlier served as the Minority Leader for eight years and distinguished himself, positioning the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a credible alternative administration.
In all the 15 years he led the NPP caucus in Parliament, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu served with distinction as he had admirable knowledge in all sectors of the economy.
His advocacy was not propaganda but thorough, well-researched and very intellectual but at the same time, down-to-earth presentations.
The New Majority Leader
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the governing NPP in a letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, confirmed Mr. Afenyo-Markin as the new majority leader.
The confirmation letter dated February 23, 2024 and signed by NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong also named Madam Patricia Appiagyei, the MP for Asokwa as the new Deputy Majority Leader while Mr. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, retained his position as the Majority Chief Whip.
In the letter read by Speaker Bagbin, the NEC added that “Mr. Habib Iddrisu, MP for Tolon, has been appointed as the First Deputy Majority Whip, with Mr. Alex Tettey Djonobuah, MP for Sefwi Akontombra, being the Second Deputy Whip.”
This process is in line with Order Six of the revised Standing Orders of Parliament (2024), as interpreted by the Speaker.
Speaker Bagbin’s interpretation clarified that while parliamentary caucuses play a pivotal role in the selection of leadership, involvement of political parties in the process cannot be sidelined, ensuring a balance between internal party democracy and parliamentary norms.
Acceptance speech
Accepting the role of Majority Leader, Mr. Afenyo-Markin, urged cooperation and solidarity from both sides of the house, making a pledge that he will not allow rancour to prevail under his leadership in Parliament.
The new leader has therefore emphasised the importance of bipartisan support from the Majority and Minority sides of the House to ensure the smooth functioning of parliamentary proceedings.
This leadership transition is expected to usher in a new phase of parliamentary operations, with the NPP’s refreshed team poised to lead the country’s legislative proceedings and national development agenda.
About Afenyo-Markin
Mr. Afenyo-Markin was born on 27 May 1978 and hails from Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana.
He studied law at the University of Buckingham, (LLB/MGT, 2003–2006), Ghana School of Law where he received a Barrister at Law certification (2007–2009) and received an M.A in international politics and security studies at the University of Bradford (2009–2010).
Between the years 1999 and 2003, the Effutu legislator worked as a Principal Postal Officer at the Ghana Post Company Limited.
He also worked at the Excel Courier Ghana Limited as the Director between 2004 and 2011 and as an Associate at Dehenya Chambers from 2010 to 2016.
In 2012, on the ticket of the NPP, Mr. Afenyo-Markin contested the NDC parliamentary candidate, Mike Allen Hammah and won.
He became the chairman of Ghana Water Company Ltd (GWCL) in 2017.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin has been on the Committee of Defence and the Interior, Finance Committees among others in Parliament.
In 2021, Afenyo-Markin together with Abdul-Aziz Ayaba Musah, Johnson Kwaku Adu, Laadi Ayii Ayamba and Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah were sworn in during the Extraordinary Session 2021 of the Parliament of the ECOWAS which happened in Freetown in Sierra Leone.
