The Majority Leader of Parliament, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has recounted the various electoral outcomes in Ghana and what the future holds for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after its defeat in the just-ended 2024 general election. He criticized the NDC for their campaign pledges and how they intend to fulfill these promises.
He began by evaluating Ghana’s political landscape, the challenges of governance, and the lessons to be drawn from the 2024 electoral outcomes.
His remarks covered historical election trends, the importance of party introspection, and the expectations that come with governance.
Afenyo-Markin delved into the NPP and NDC’s fluctuating fortunes in Ghana’s parliamentary elections.
“In 2004, the NPP achieved a significant victory. However, in 2008, the NDC gained back some seats, and in 2012, our numbers further reduced to about 125 seats. Then, in 2016, we had a historic 169 seats, we had gained 46 seats within four years.’’
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin Majority Leader in Parliament
However, he acknowledged the challenges that followed. He emphasized;
“Between 2016 and 2020, with our 169 seats, we dropped to 137. Of course, the independent joined us to make it 138, giving us a single-seat majority. This meant we lost over 37 seats within four years. Then comes the 2024 elections, we’ve gone further down. But I believe with hard work and collective posture in the chamber, coming 2028, we would turn things around.”
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin Majority Leader in Parliament
The Majority Leader pointed to the NDC’s resilience after their defeat. He noted;
“Our friends in the NDC were not heartbroken when we defeated them in 2016. They went back home, did their introspection, and came back stronger. That history and our history will guide us as we move into 2025 to put together a formidable opposition to keep the feet of our friends to the fire.”
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin Majority Leader in Parliament
He emphasized that political parties must adapt to the evolving demands of governance. He added;
“From day one, when you get elected, you start losing votes. People have their expectations, especially those who helped bring the party into office. There’s always disappointment when those expectations are not met.”
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin Majority Leader in Parliament
He also pointed out the voter apathy reflected in the last election. He lamented;
“If you look at the electoral roll, we have 18 million plus Ghanaians in there. The total voter turnout was around 12 million. This means 6 million Ghanaians, a third of the electorate, decided not to vote.”
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin Majority Leader in Parliament
NDC’s Majority and Governance Challenges
Afenyo-Markin offered his perspective on the NDC’s parliamentary majority and their promise of a lean government.
“NDC has promised some 40 to 60 ministers, which means they will have about 35 to 40 MPs serving as ministers or deputies. If you take that out of their over 170 seats, they would have about 140 MPs who would be redundant in Parliament. All they would have to do is to do ‘yeiyei’.’’
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin Majority Leader in Parliament
He further elaborated on the challenges MPs face, especially those not holding ministerial positions:
“These MPs would have demands from their constituents, am talking to you in practical terms. I know what I know. They would be expected to go to their constituencies [but] the resources would not be there. Because only few would have ministerial appointments and that’s where their woes would start.
“For instance, President Mahama as a candidate was promising a lot of social interventions at the same time promising that he was going to repeal taxes, nuisance taxes he called them. Now, how do you introduce nkonk) nketenkete policy?’’
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin Majority Leader in Parliament
He also defended the NPP’s flagship One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative. He eulogized;
According to him, the 1D1F provides tax incentives to the private sector to import machinery and raw materials at reduced costs. This is a major relief to businesses. Yet, the NDC has been fighting against this.
“I want to give them a grace period. I want to see how they would go about their governance. For the first 100 days, we should give them the opportunity to set up the government. We shouldn’t be in a rush.’’
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin Majority Leader in Parliament
He expressed skepticism about some of their proposals but maintained that the NPP would focus on constructive opposition.
Afenyo-Markin’s reflections underline the importance of introspection and adaptation in politics. He emphasized the need for the NPP to learn from past mistakes.
With a call for practical solutions and unity within the NPP, Afenyo-Markin expressed optimism for the party’s resurgence in 2028.
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