The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Effutu constituency in the Central region of Ghana, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin has now been confirmed formally as the new Majority Leader in Parliament. The announcement was made by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who formerly occupied the same position until Wednesday, February 21, 2024. Mr. Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, MP for the Suame Constituency, resigned his position as the Majority Leader on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.
A surprise shake-up of the majority leadership in the Parliament of Ghana saw the elevation of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, from deputy majority leader to Majority Leader.
This follows the sudden resignation of the majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu last Thursday.
The official announcement of the changes on the floor of the House ended speculations and also calmed some nerves in the National Patriotic Party (NPP) one of Ghana’s two major political parties, especially considering how it was handled.
Although the Speaker of parliament, Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin was supposed to announce the changes to the House per a correspondence from the party, he decided to cede it to Hon. Kyei Mensah-Bonsu to do so.
The changes in this leadership followed the adoption of recommendations of the National Council of the NPP by the National Executive Committee (NEC) after a meeting last Thursday. And it affirmed an earlier interpretation by Hon. Bagbin that the process of changes in the leadership of the House, as stipulated in Standing Order 6, could only emanate from the leadership of the party.
The reshuffle also saw the NPP MP for Asokwa, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, being named as the new Deputy Majority Leader.
The new Majority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for the Effutu Constituency in the Central region, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has urged cooperation and solidarity from both sides of the house and says he will not allow rancour to prevail under his leadership in Parliament.
He has, therefore, emphasized the importance of bipartisan support from the Majority and Minority sides of the house to ensure the smooth functioning of parliamentary proceedings.
Hon. Afenyo-Markin was delivering his acceptance speech last Friday as the new leader of the Majority side after the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, read a letter from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) confirming the MP for Effutu constituency as the new Majority Leader, following the resignation of Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu. It marked the beginning of this transition in parliamentary leadership.
