Afenyo-Markin Vows Substance Over Numbers in Minority Role, Draws Inspiration from Bagbin’s NDC Opposition Era
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has declared he is “not in any way worried about the numbers,” asserting that effective parliamentary opposition hinges on strategy, conviction, and substance rather than numerical strength.
Speaking on JoyNews on October 27, the Effutu MP reflected on the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) reduced caucus following the 2024 elections and drew parallels with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under Alban Bagbin’s leadership in the early 2000s, emphasizing resilience and long-term momentum.
“I draw a lot of inspiration from the Bagbin era and NDC opposition,” Afenyo-Markin said,
recalling how the NDC, after its 2000 defeat, faced public rejection yet rebuilt through disciplined opposition.
“In 2001, nobody wanted to hear NDC. It was difficult for them to even appear on radio programmes. But they put themselves together… By 2004, they had momentum. Then by 2008, they surprised the nation.”
The NPP now holds 135 seats in the 276-member Parliament—a drop from 137—against the NDC’s 183, leaving Afenyo-Markin’s team in a weakened position. Yet he rejected the notion that “power in Parliament lies in numbers,” arguing, “Before the final destination, you need to demonstrate your weight. And for me, that is what enriches democracy.”
He candidly acknowledged NPP governance failures, particularly in tackling illegal mining (galamsey), economic stabilization, and public discontent. “We were faced with huge challenges. We tried, but we were not too successful,” he admitted, citing the loss of the middle class due to banking sector cleanups, pension bondholder haircuts, and post-COVID austerity. “We lost the middle class, the businessmen… educated people who ordinarily would vote NPP got disappointed.”
Still, he defended key achievements: “We introduced Free SHS, which benefited many families. We brought in 1D1F, a major boost for the private sector.” He stressed that while expectations were high, “all these gains… we lost out” due to unmet demands.
