Afenyo-Markin Slams NDC Majority, Rejects Speaker’s Suspension of NPP MPs
In a fiery address to the media on Monday, February 3, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament, launched a scathing critique of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority. He accused the NDC of fostering an aggressive and disruptive environment within Parliament, claiming that certain elements of the Minority caucus are determined to derail the smooth running of House proceedings.
Afenyo-Markin expressed concern over the “wild dogs” within the NDC ranks, accusing them of attempting to undermine the Majority’s efforts at diplomacy and cooperation. He emphasized that despite the Majority Leader’s attempts to manage conflicts, these aggressive factions were going beyond the bounds of constructive debate and disrupting the work of parliamentary committees, especially the Appointments Committee.
“Some elements within the NDC are overly aggressive. They see themselves as the leaders of government business, and they believe they must have their pound of flesh,” Afenyo-Markin stated.
He specifically pointed to instances where NDC members had interfered with the work of the Appointments Committee, even attempting to intimidate its Chairman and disrupt the vetting process. He alleged that Minority members had put pressure on the Committee Chairman to block his voting rights and disturb the deliberations, despite his efforts to maintain order.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, had previously accused the Majority of using intimidation tactics to silence dissent, with claims of physical confrontations and verbal abuse. Afenyo-Markin, however, rejected these accusations, calling out the NDC for allegedly hiring individuals to intimidate opposition MPs during parliamentary proceedings
“They’ve resorted to firing up their foot soldiers to come and intimidate us. They insult, they bully. We are few, but we are a mighty few. We will not be intimidated or bullied into submission,” he declared defiantly.
Despite these tensions, Afenyo-Markin reiterated the Majority’s commitment to standing firm in defense of democratic principles. He stressed that they would not back down from upholding the interests of the nation, urging the Majority to respect the Minority’s efforts and ensure fairness in parliamentary dealings.
Turning to the recent suspension of three New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs by Speaker Alban Bagbin following chaotic scenes during last Thursday’s vetting session, Afenyo-Markin condemned the action. He argued that Speaker Bagbin had overstepped his authority, exercising powers not granted to him under parliamentary rules.
According to Afenyo-Markin, parliamentary protocol mandates that a committee be formed to investigate such incidents before any punitive measures are taken, calling the suspension decision both hasty and unjust.
“We will ensure that the right thing is done, always in the national interest. We will stand our ground and not allow ourselves to be cowed by intimidation,” he said.