I’m not worried about the numbers, I’ve learned from Bagbin’s era NDC opposition – Afenyo-Markin

Minority Leader and Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, says he is unfazed by the numerical disadvantage of his caucus in Parliament.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on October 27, he said his leadership will be defined by substance, not numbers.

“I’m not in any way worried about the numbers. Like I indicated in my opening remarks in Parliament, it’s about substance,” he said.

Responding to suggestions that power in Parliament lies in numbers, Mr Afenyo-Markin argued that influence is earned through strategy and conviction.

“Before the final destination, you need to demonstrate your weight. And for me, that is what enriches democracy,” he said.

He drew inspiration from how the National Democratic Congress (NDC), led in Parliament by Alban Bagbin in opposition, recovered from its first major defeat in 2000.

“The situation has happened before to the NDC. I draw a lot of inspiration from the Bagbin era and NDC opposition,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin recalled how the NDC, after its PNDC roots, struggled for relevance when it lost power.

“Kufuor enjoyed huge goodwill. In 2001, nobody wanted to hear NDC. In fact, it was difficult for them to even appear on radio programmes. But they put themselves together in the midst of the confusion,” he recounted.

According to him, the Bagbin-led Minority’s hard work and determination eventually paid off.

“By 2004, they had momentum on their side. Then by 2008, they surprised the nation,” he said.

He stressed the importance of learning from both successes and failures.

“As a politician, you should not be shy of your weakness. You come into government, you have your success story, you have your failings,” he noted.

Reflecting on the government’s record, Mr Afenyo-Markin admitted challenges in tackling illegal mining, stabilising the economy, and managing public discontent.

“We were faced with huge challenges. We tried, but we were not too successful. Typical example, galamsey,” he said.

He said tough economic measures taken during the post-COVID period alienated key sections of the party’s base.

“We lost the middle class, the businessmen. There were haircuts, pensioners, educated people who ordinarily would vote NPP got disappointed,” he said.

Despite this, he maintained that the government achieved significant milestones in education and industrialisation.

“We introduced Free SHS, which benefited many families. We brought in 1D1F, a major boost for the private sector. It attracted a lot of companies that saw Ghana as a great destination for business,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin concluded that although expectations were high and the party lost ground, the experience has strengthened his resolve.

“Eventually, all these gains, because of our inability to meet the higher expectations of the Ghanaian people, we lost out,” he said.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.