Parliament today officially welcomed its youngest Member of Parliament, Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), following her swearing-in ceremony as the duly elected representative for the Ablekuma North constituency.
Her inauguration marks a historic moment, not only because she now occupies a seat previously held by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) since the inception of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, but also because her entry into the House grants the ruling NDC a two-thirds supermajority—an unprecedented threshold in the country’s constitutional era.
Administering the swearing-in at the plenary, Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin extended his warm congratulations to the new MP and offered both encouragement and caution as she steps into the responsibilities of legislative life.
“Honourable Member, you are welcome to the House. You have to proceed to append your signature to the oaths you swore and hand them over to the Clerk of Parliament. Once again, I congratulate you on being the youngest Member of Parliament”.
Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin
Call to Action
Speaker Bagbin called on Hon. Aubynn to embrace the role with seriousness and humility, reminding her of the weight of public trust she now bears.
She urged her to be punctual, be ever present in Parliament, speak more, learn from her colleagues, and pay critical attention to not only the national Constitution but Parliament’s Standing Orders.
“Read everything, because you are now the hope of the people in the constituency,” Speaker Bagbin charged the new MP. The Speaker was particularly emphatic about the value of political independence and the importance of staying grounded in the service of the people.
“They are looking up to you to do something to improve their lives. It is a trust. And this I pray you don’t abuse. Four years is just a day. You go back to them, and they will assess you this time based on your performance. Please don’t be misled by any person.
“You fought the battle; others only supported you. But it was your picture and name on the ballot box. And so don’t allow any person to change who you are. They voted for you—even though on a party ticket. But there are many members of that party in the constituency; they voted for you.”
Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin
Commitment to Duty
Affirming her role not only as a representative of the people but also as a symbol of gender empowerment, the Speaker charged her to commit herself to her constituents’ needs.
“Be the woman that you are. You are the makers of the world. We’ll always rely on you to keep us going. So once again, you are welcome, and I congratulate you. You may now take your seat. And you are now a fully fledged Honourable Member of Parliament.”
Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin
Hon. Aubynn’s swearing-in follows her narrow yet decisive victory in the rerun of parliamentary elections across 19 polling stations in the Ablekuma North constituency.
The rerun was ordered after violent clashes at the collation centre on December 7, 2024, disrupted the results collation process and left the constituency without a Member of Parliament for more than six months.
In the rerun vote, Hon. Aubynn secured 34,090 votes, edging out the incumbent NPP candidate, Akua Afriyie, who polled 33,881 votes—a margin of just 209 votes that sealed a significant political shift in the constituency.
The result not only ended the NPP’s long-standing grip on the seat since 1992 but also strengthened the NDC’s parliamentary dominance with a supermajority—giving the governing party enhanced legislative powers and a commanding mandate.
Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn’s rise is seen by many as a sign of a new generation of leadership within the NDC and the broader Ghanaian political landscape.
Her youth, combined with the historical weight of her victory, places her under close national watch, both as a symbol of political change and as a test case for youthful leadership in Parliament.
Her performance over the next four years will be crucial, not only for her personal political future but also for how voters assess the NDC’s deepened influence in Parliament. The Speaker’s remarks seemed to reflect this sentiment, serving as both a welcome and a challenge.
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