The 9th parliament will soon be inaugurated on 7th January, 2025. There is controversy over the exact number of parliamentary positions each of the two major political parties have garnered in the 2024 general elections.

This controversy emanates from the Electoral Commission’s (EC’s) unholy determination to snatch some seats, already declared for the NDC, for the NPP. One thing is however certain, the historic two-third’s majority for the NDC can never be denied them.

One important exercise, but less difficult this time round, is the election of the Speaker of Parliament. Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin election as the Speaker for the 8th (current) Parliament was acrimonious with Carlos Ahenkorah, NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West stealing some votes cast in favour of Bagbin. A proactive Muntaka Mubarak, the Former Minority Chief Whip gave Carlos a huge blow on the face blocking his (Carlos) attempt to bolt.

With a historic majority of more than two-third of members, the NDC can simply propose Bagbin and the only thing the NPP side is required to do is to accept. The acrimony that characterized the current Parliament during the election of the speaker will be absent because the opposition will not have the numbers and power to impose their preferred candidate on the government.

Mr. Bagbin is a Speaker worth his salt. He is known to stand for what is right and no amount of intimidation will force him shift his position. The recent impasse between the judiciary and parliament is worthy of note.

Bagbin was so firm and right such that the NPP caucus could not get the help they wanted from the court though the court overturned his decision declaring four seats vacant because occupants of those seats violated article 97(1) (g) and (h) of the 1992 Constitution by opting to contest on different tickets. He has always ensured that Parliament does not become a rubber stamp for the executive.

Bagbin, though the choice of the opposition in the current Parliament, has served all hearts happy by placing the interest of Ghana above anything else. Many say he is the best Speaker Ghana has ever had. No wonder the call for him to be retained is gaining enormous momentum.

First it was the leader of the current NPP parliamentary caucus, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, though “Green snake in a green grass,” who pleaded with the incoming government to retain Rt. Hon. Bagbin as the Speaker after showering him with lots of praises.

“Mr Speaker, let me commend you for the four years of your leadership in this House. We may have had our disagreements, but it is clear that the welfare of members has been key to your leadership. Nobody can take that away from you.”

He continued, “Mr Speaker, the institutional empowerment you have given to Parliament is unmatched, and it is likely because we have you as speaker coming from within. Mr Speaker, I don’t know whether you will be retained or if a new person will be appointed. If they decide to maintain you, I know parliament will continue to benefit. But should they decide to retire you, which I know they can do, if they choose to bring in a new Speaker, that person should come from within. We don’t want an outsider.”

Many NPP MPs have been calling for Afenyo-Markin to be retained as the leader of the NPP caucus in the 9th Parliament. Inference can be deduced that the call by Afenyo-Markin for Bagbin to be retained is a call from the mouths of all the NPP representatives.

If you have your child and those who are expected to know him less come to tell you that he is excellent at performing a certain function, do you go looking for another? The NPP has confirmed the competence we (NDC) already know in Speaker Bagbin and maintaining him is perfectly right.

Bagbin’s doings in the historic victory of John Mahama is lucidly displayed on the screens. MP for South Dayi, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor pointed out that the Speaker was the architect of the virgin victory in many constituencies NDC never won before.

According to Dafeamekpor in a Metro TV’s interview, the Speaker called him to the Speaker’s office cautioning; “look my son we must be careful. So he started. He said this year’s elections, if we do not work to win seats we have never won before, that's how you silence your opponents, political opponents. When they see that you have won seats you have never won before, the agitation from their side dwindles.”

Dafeamekpor continued; “he asked me to identify 15 seats we’ve never won before and to sponsor including Tema Central. So speaker sets out to actually look for these seats and ensure that proper campaigns were done, proper sponsorships went, proper monitoring for these seats to be delivered.”

Dafeamekpor did not stop; “so it is not surprising that the General Secretary is able to rattle the number of constituencies that we have won for the first time. It was up to Speaker. The people may not have known Speaker’s role, he took this as a bet project and delivered them.”

If the Speaker is able to achieve this much, it will not be wrong to describe him as “A jack of all trades and master of all.” He has done enough to be deserving of a position more than the Speaker. If we cannot give him more, then lets give him what is already at hand.

The narrations of Dafeamekpor also indicate that the incoming majority caucus is satisfied with the Speaker’s leadership qualities and willing to continue with him. So give to Caesar what is Caesar!

The NDC Professionals Forum (ProForum), the intellectual organ of the NDC made up of engineers, accountants, lawyers, teachers, architects among others met the Speaker at Parliament to appreciate his support for the Forum. They strongly called for Mr.Bagbin to be retained.

The Forum’s President, Sam Pee Yalley stated; “For those who work very close with you, they see you as the speaker of parliament. But we saw you as a pivotal link between the NDC as a party and parliament. You represented the spirit of our party. Anytime we spoke to you and with you, you insisted that you wanted to establish strong and stronger institutions like the parliament. Once again, right honourable speaker, we want to assure you of our unflinching support for your endeavours.”

He proceeded; “We want to be the first to dare say that our members of parliament should dare not make a mistake in changing you. We are not just making it a political call, we have researchers among us, we have persons who are on the ground and know what the ordinary man or woman feels and knows, and we have come to the firm conclusion that you’ll be needed even more in this one-sided parliament.”

What more can anyone else add? If the the intellectual organ of the party (playing the key roles of conducting research, disseminating the party’s manifesto, and expertly representing and advising the party) comes out to say Bagbin is the kind of Speaker Ghanaians want, no one must be seen saying otherwise!

The ProForum research is corroborated by Chiefs in the Upper West Region when they say Bagbin is the person proper to lead Parliament. In a statement signed by Gbankor Naa Jamaa Matarah II on behalf of the Kaleo Traditional Council and the region’s traditional authorities concluded; “With the NDC securing a strong majority in Parliament, this is a unique opportunity to build on progress and address the nation’s challenges. Retaining Speaker Bagbin would be a step in the right direction.”

A lot may claim to know the ins and outs of the NDC but none can say he knows more than Bagbin. In the NDC today, if the Speaker says he will hit you with a stone, you do not need to look to be sure if he is having a stone in his hand. His service has gained him so much respect such that it is difficult for anyone to deny him his desire(s) in the NDC.

Let me also add that what an elder sees sitting on the floor, a child will not see it even when standing on the highest mountain. Again, when a worthy elder wakes up from bed telling what he saw in his sleep, wise listeners believe. Bagbin saw himself retained in his sleep, that is why he was able to authoritatively declare that all MPs forced on the people by the EC through re-collation and re-declaration will not have seats in Parliament.

“Until you are sworn in by the Speaker, you remain an MP-elect. I was very clear in my mind that some of those re-collation and re-declarations were completely null and void. They were unknown to the law, and so they were not properly so-called MPs-elect and not qualified to be sworn in by me.” In short, Bagbin knows he is granted the Speaker of the 9th Parliament and so he will not swear in re-collated and re-declared MPs into office as the historic Speaker that he is in the 9th Parliament.

Truth is, it will be hard for a listening party like the NDC to ignore the popular support for Bagbin to be retained. His experience and leadership qualities are unmatched. No doubt, Speaker Bagbin will enjoy a historic status of being the first, and the only Speaker for now, to have been elected Speaker twice in the Fourth Republic. For me, it is confirmed that Bagbin is retained as Speaker of the 9th Parliament.