Member of Parliament for Effutu constituency and outgoing Majority leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has assured the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that he will work hard in his newly appointed role as Minority Leader in the 9th Parliament.
In a brief interaction with journalists following a meeting of the party’s National Council, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said he was immensely grateful to the leadership of the party for giving him the nod to lead the NPP caucus.
“The party will issue an official statement,” he said of his new position. “But all I can say is that I thank the National Council for the trust reposed in me; The decision to confirm me to lead my side in Parliament. And I can promise them one thing: Hard work. Hard work. Hard work. May God be my guide.”
The National Council’s decision to retain Mr. Afenyo-Markin as NPP leader in the House comes after several leading members of the party including former National Chairman, Freddie Blay, voiced support to maintaining the Effutu MP in leadership.
The lawmaker rose to the top job in the caucus when veteran Member of Parliament for Suame, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu resigned from the position he had held for more than fifteen years.
Mr. Kyei Mensah-Bonsu at the time, stated that he had stepped down “voluntarily” to “prevent chaos in the party”.
It remains to be seen who leads the Majority caucus in the next parliament as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is yet to formally communicate its leadership.
The Speaker of Parliament for the 9th Parliament has also not been made public although a number of NDC bigwigs are backing incumbent Speaker. Alban Kingsford Bagbin. Since Justice D.F Annan in the 1990’s, no Speaker of Parliament has served two terms under the Fourth Republic.
