Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader in Parliament, has expressed deep dissatisfaction over what he described as a deliberate misrepresentation of his political commentary during a recent interview.
The seasoned legislator took issue with a headline published by Joy FM, which he indicated inaccurately framed his statements as praise for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
During the interview, Hon. Afenyo-Markin addressed several weighty national matters, including the President’s controversial suspension of the Chief Justice and the nomination of seven new Justices to the Supreme Court.
However, it was a question at the tail end of the session that sparked controversy.
Asked whether the New Patriotic Party (NPP) could enhance its 2028 electoral fortunes by replacing Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as flagbearer, the Minority Leader offered a more strategic response.
“In response, I focused my remarks on the need to rebuild and rebrand the NPP, particularly from the frontlines of Parliament. I articulated a clear and reasoned position to the effect that political branding often plays a more decisive role than individual candidacy in electoral outcomes.”
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin
To illustrate his point, he referred to Ghana’s Effutu and Keta constituencies, stating that entrenched party loyalty in such areas tends to shape voting patterns more than the personal appeal of individual candidates.
In his view, in constituencies like Keta, an NDC candidate is more likely to win—“not necessarily because of personal merit, but because the NDC brand is sellable among the electorate there and reflects the political preference of the community.”
Accordingly, Hon. Afenyo-Markin emphasized that this was a neutral political analysis—not a commendation or endorsement of the NDC.
Yet, shortly after the interview aired, Joy FM published a headline claiming: “NDC is a sellable brand, Afenyo-Markin commends ruling party’s rebranding effort.”
He argued that the headline was taken completely out of context and fundamentally misrepresented the core of his analysis.
According to him, it stripped his remarks of their meaning, mischaracterized his intentions, and subjected him to unwarranted public criticism and political manipulation.
Headline Distorts Afenyo-Markin’s Political Position
Although the station eventually took down the misleading headline following his intervention, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin maintained that the harm had already been done.
He noted that by that time, multiple media outlets had picked up the story and were widely circulating it, further reinforcing a distorted version of his political position.
“The framing of that headline runs counter to the tenets of responsible journalism and constitutes a grave disservice both to me as a Public Servant and to your audience, who rely on your platform for fair and accurate reportage.
“Let me be clear: I did not endorse the NDC. I simply made an objective, contextual observation about party branding in Ghanaian politics—an argument in favour of intensifying efforts to rebuild and reposition the NPP for future electoral success.”
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin
Accordingly, Afenyo-Markin strongly criticized Joy FM’s editorial team for extracting a fragment of his broader argument and turning it into what he described as an exaggerated headline, which he deemed deeply unfair.
In response, he called for a complete retraction of the misleading headline across all of Joy FM’s platforms, including their website and social media.
He also demanded that his comments be accurately contextualized and republished with equal visibility, along with a formal written apology from the editorial or production team behind the publication.
“The media wields enormous influence in shaping public opinion. With that comes the duty to report fairly, accurately, and responsibly, especially when dealing with matters as sensitive as political commentary.”
Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin
Afenyo-Markin, therefore, expressed his expectation that the platform would handle the issue with the seriousness it warrants and uphold the principles of fairness and professional integrity.
READ ALSO: Akon Shares Reason Elon Musk Fights for White South Africans
