Outgoing Majority Leader of Ghana’s Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged the incoming National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to either retain the current Speaker, Alban Bagbin, or appoint a new Speaker from within Parliament.

According to him, if the incoming John Mahama administration decides to change the Speaker, the individual should not be an outsider. He emphasized that Alban Bagbin has performed exceptionally well over the past four years, and it would be unfair to replace him with someone unfamiliar with the workings of the House.

“Mr Speaker, the institutional empowerment you have given to Parliament is unmatched, and it is likely because we have you as speaker coming from within. Mr Speaker, I don’t know whether you will be retained or if a new person will be appointed… If they decide to maintain you, I know Parliament will continue to benefit. But should they decide to retire you, which I know they can do, if they choose to bring in a new Speaker, that person should come from within. We don’t want an outsider,” he said during the House’s first sitting after the long break caused by the vacant seat impasse.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin further explained that members of the House would prefer “someone who will understand us,” reiterating the importance of selecting a Speaker who is already familiar with parliamentary procedures.

He praised Alban Bagbin for his leadership, stating, “Mr Speaker, let me commend you for the four years of your leadership in this House. We may have had our disagreements, but it is clear that the welfare of members has been key to your leadership. Nobody can take that away from you.”

Monday’s sitting took place at the Accra International Conference Centre, where members of Parliament convened to debate pending matters before the current Parliament’s closure.