Carlos Ahenkorah, the Member of Parliament for Tema West, has made a provocative statement about the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) performance in the 2024 general elections. In an interview, Ahenkorah suggested that the party’s troubles began in 2021 when Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, a member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), was appointed Speaker of Parliament. According to Ahenkorah, this decision significantly weakened the NPP’s ability to control the legislative process, ultimately contributing to their electoral loss.
Ahenkorah pointed to Bagbin’s election as Speaker as a pivotal moment in the NPP’s struggles. “The moment we allowed Alban Bagbin, an NDC member, to become Speaker, we set ourselves up for difficulties,” Ahenkorah stated. “It was a mistake that we should have prevented, and it weakened our hold on Parliament, making it harder for us to advance our policies.”
Alban Bagbin, who made history as the first Speaker of Parliament from an opposition party in Ghana, has been at the center of numerous controversial decisions. His leadership has often been criticized for favoring the NDC, and many within the NPP believe that Bagbin’s position gave the opposition an undue advantage. This situation, according to Ahenkorah, hindered the NPP’s ability to pass crucial policies, leaving the party unable to fully execute its developmental agenda.
“Having Bagbin as Speaker painted us as ineffective, which played a role in the electorate’s disenchantment with our party,” Ahenkorah explained. “Voters saw us as divided and incapable of governing effectively, and that led to our loss in 2024.”
Ahenkorah expressed regret that the NPP did not do enough to secure their own candidate as Speaker, a position he believes could have helped the party maintain stronger legislative control. “Internal divisions and a lack of strategic planning within the NPP were partly to blame for not having our own Speaker,” he lamented. “Had we done more to ensure this, we would have been better positioned to implement our policies.”
His comments have sparked debate within the party, with many members reflecting on the implications of Bagbin’s rise to power and the broader impact it had on the NPP’s image. Ahenkorah’s words serve as a wake-up call for the NPP, urging party leaders and members to assess their mistakes and focus on strategies to ensure stronger leadership moving forward.
Source : m.dailyadvent.com
