The Minority in Parliament has cautioned the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) against using its numerical strength to frustrate parliamentary scrutiny, warning that unchecked executive dominance could push Ghana towards “elective dictatorship.”
The Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, articulated this position during a press engagement, where he called on the Speaker of Parliament to uphold fairness and exercise his authority with restraint.
He argues that Parliament must remain an effective institution for scrutinising government decisions, irrespective of the governing party’s numerical advantage in the House.
“An electoral mandate grants no license to suffocate accountability. But when executive dominance is reinforced by parliamentary numbers, and scrutiny is repeatedly frustrated, elective dictatorship becomes a present danger and reality that must be resisted.”
Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin
Honourable Afenyo-Markin drew attention to the recent United States midterm elections, which he cited as “a powerful reminder to every majority, particularly the NDC majority here in our Parliament. The people who give you power can take it away.”
Consequently, the Effutu MP cautioned the NDC majority against interpreting its electoral mandate as permission to weaken parliamentary oversight. In his assessment, the people who entrust a party with political power retain the ultimate authority to determine whether it deserves to continue exercising that mandate.
Turning to the Speaker’s responsibilities, the Minority Leader called for a measured approach to disagreements within the chamber. He urged the presiding officer to distinguish legitimate dissent from disrespect and ensure that parliamentary authority does not obstruct the presentation and examination of evidence.
“Let the mighty minority make its case. Let the evidence be examined, let the minister be heard, let Parliament perform its duty, and let the people decide.”
Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin
Furthermore, Honourable Afenyo-Markin emphasised that the Minority’s responsibility extends beyond opposing government policies to representing citizens who expect their elected representatives to demand explanations from public officials. He maintained that Ghanaians rely on Parliament to scrutinise executive decisions and protect the constitutional principles underpinning democratic governance.
The Minority Leader therefore called for an environment in which competing political positions can receive fair consideration without intimidation or institutional obstruction. He asserted that parliamentary democracy becomes meaningful only when both sides of the House can discharge their constitutional obligations without fear or favour.
Minority Vows To Resist Political Intimidation
Beyond its demand for parliamentary accountability, the Minority in Parliament also vowed to resist attempts to intimidate opposition legislators and weaken their capacity to scrutinise government.
The Minority Leader and Effutu MP, Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin accused the governing administration of using state power to exert political pressure on members of the opposition.
“We have endured intimidation and harassment as minority in opposition. Colleagues have faced arrest, detention, and onerous bail conditions. We see in this pattern a coordinated, autocratic abuse of power intended to exhaust our resolve and silence our voices.”
Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin
Honourable Afenyo-Markin, however, distinguished resistance to political intimidation from opposition to lawful accountability. He affirmed that every citizen, including members of his caucus, must answer for any proven wrongdoing, but insisted that state institutions must not become instruments for securing political submission.
“What we resist, and will never desist from resisting, is the conversion of state power into an instrument of political submission,” he declared, signalling that the caucus would not retreat from its oversight responsibilities. The Effutu MP also invoked the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition and its roots in the United Party, presenting the NPP’s political inheritance as one grounded in the defence of Ghana’s democratic freedoms.
He asserted that the party’s history obliges its members to protect democratic institutions and preserve the rights of future generations. In a direct challenge to Foreign Affairs Minister, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minority Leader called on him to defend the principles he championed while serving in opposition.
“Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa himself was never silenced. In opposition, he was loud. He was never compromised. Therefore, this is not the time to shielding. He must come out and defend the very principles he stood for in opposition.”
Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin
He further invoked the sacking of Honourable Samuel Abu Jinapor by the Speaker of Parliament and the Minority’s position on parliamentary scrutiny, insisting that neither the Effutu caucus nor its members would abandon their duty to question government conduct.
The Minority Leader concluded with a pledge to resume its work with determination despite whatever pressure it encounters. “We shall not be moved. We shall not be cowed, and we surely shall not be silenced,” he affirmed, reiterating the caucus’s resolve to hold the government and its functionaries accountable.
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