The NPP, according to data, faced its worst electoral defeat in the just ended general elections. The party secured only 41.6% in the presidential elections and made a net loss of 49 parliamentary seats (i.e. from 137 to 89 parliamentary seats, with 2 seats remaining). Even if the two remaining seats were to be declared for the NPP, the party will have only 91 seats, which is still less than one-third (1/3rd) of the total number of seats in parliament.

With such unprecedented numerical deficiency on the part of the NPP’s parliamentary representation, many watchers of democracy have said that the next parliament, which is the 9th parliament shall become a rubber stamp parliament, where the NDC Supreme Majority would have a field day in the august house. Some have likened the 9th parliament to a one-party legislature and indeed, an extension of the John Mahama led Executive arm of government.

The 9th parliament, they say, may be unable to effectively discharge its deliberative, representational, legislative and financial oversight of the John Mahama government to ensure that the national interest is always protected. In other words, the fear that is being expressed by many democracy watchers is that the 9th parliament cannot check and balance the Executive but will rather rubber stamp the executive agenda, no matter how detrimental such agenda may be to the national interest.

However, the NPP has a fine opportunity to prove these cynics wrong and to ensure that its mini–Minority Group of less than one-third (1/3rd) of MPs rises to the occasion so that the 9th parliament does not become a rubber stamp. The NPP will only be successful at this if the party appoints a very strong front bench. Now, more than ever, the NPP shall be expected to put its best foot forward in the appointment of its next parliamentary leadership to hold the fort for the Ghanaian people.

The NPP is essentially being called upon to do what it did in the 2nd parliament of the fourth republic (from 1997 to 2001) when the party had only 61 MPs; but, with the appointment of a strong front bench led by the venerable J.H Mensah, this famous “Appollo 61”, discharged their oversight duties excellently, taking on the supreme NDC Majority and the Rawlings government. The hard work of the J.H. Mensah-led mini NPP Minority in the 2nd parliament was what set the stage for the NPP’s victory in the 2000 general elections.

The NPP has done it before, and the party is being called upon to repeat this feat when the National Council of the Party meets on the 2nd of January, 2025, to, among other things, elect leaders of its parliamentary group in the next parliament pursuant to Article 14 (2) of the NPP Constitution. It is widely expected that having regard to the NPP’s small Minority, the party will RETAIN Hon. Alexander Kwabena Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu, as Leader of the party’s Parliamentary Group in the 9th parliament owing to his competence and vast experience in the workings of parliament.

The Effutu lawmaker, by dint of hard work, was promoted from Deputy Majority Leader to substantive Majority on February 23, 2024, by the NPP’s National Council, replacing the then outgoing Leader, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu. There is no denying that the 8th parliament is the most difficult parliament particularly for the government side in this fourth republic, due to its Hung nature and the fact that the Speaker of Parliament comes from the main opposition political party.

Indeed, it got to a time, the government side (NPP) virtually lost its Majority status and was at the verge of becoming Minority when two of their members filed nomination to contest as Independent Candidates. It took the resilience and fortitude of Hon. Afenyo Markin, as Leader of the NPP side in parliament, who used due process to overturn the decisions of the partisan Speaker of Parliament and to ensure that the NPP avoided this embarrassment and indeed, constitutional crisis.

It is noteworthy that in the current tussle on who won the 2024 parliamentary elections in some of the contentious constituencies, Hon. Afenyo Markin is one of the few persons leading the NPP in the struggles at the various collation centres and in the media to protect the seats that were duly won by the NPP. He is the only NPP MP that you will find at every one of these collation centres; at the NPP headquarters; and at the courts, all of which have virtually become his second home. His only motivation was to protect parliamentary seats duly won by the NPP from being stolen by the NDC.

Hon. Afenyo-Markin, in effect, has demonstrated that “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”, as noted by Martin Luther King Jnr. He has also demonstrated that leadership is not about titles or flowcharts. It is about finding solutions to challenges. It is about influencing policies and giving hope when it matters most. Ultimately, he has shown that leadership is about taking responsibility in times of crisis and exploring best possible ways of overcoming same.

Beyond these traits, Hon. Afenyo-Markin is SELFLESS [sacrificed his seat at the ECOWAS Parliament to save the image of Ghana]. He is EXPERIENCED in parliamentary duties [soon to become a 4-term MP; served in about 7 committees in parliament; served in parliamentary leadership]. He is a LEGAL LUMINARY [chaired the NPP Constitution Review Committee; won many landmark cases at the Supreme Court].

He is an ASTUTE POLITICIAN [he beat an NDC colossus, Hon. Mike Hammah, then as incumbent MP and Transport Minister in the 2012 parliamentary elections in Effutu, and thereafter turned the constituency into an NPP stronghold]. He is DOWN TO EARTH and has great INTERPERSONAL SKILLS. Above all, Hon. Alexander Afenyo Markin is very ARTICULATE and OUTSPOKEN, demonstrating at all-time, great quality in parliamentary debates. You just cannot get it wrong with Afenyo-Markin.

With less than 1/3rd of parliamentary seats in the 9th parliament, the NPP Parliamentary Group, now more than ever, needs a leader like Afenyo-Markin. It is thus, not surprising that there is an overwhelming call within the party for him to be retained as leader of the party’s parliamentary group. This popular view is also shared by the current First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and outgoing MP for Bekwai, Hon. Joe Osei Owusu, who made a strong case for the retention of Hon. Afenyo-Markin, emphasizing the importance of longevity and experience in parliamentary leadership.

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