BREAKING: Alban Bagbin elected Speaker of Ghana’s 8th Parliament

Within just hours of ending his role as Second Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s 7th Parliament, former Member of Parliament for Nadowli West, Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin has been elected as Speaker of Ghana’s 8th Parliament in the Fourth Republican dispensation.

His election comes after a long night of processes that kicked right after the midnight of January 6, 2021, inaugurate Ghana’s next Parliament following the conduct of the 2020 General elections.

The election was characterized by several moments of chaos as a result of misunderstandings between the New Patriotic Party MPs-elect and their National Democratic Congress (NDC) counterparts.

Profile of Alban Bagbin:

Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin (born 24 September 1957) is a Ghanaian politician who is currently the Speaker of Parliament of Ghana. He was the Minister for Health in the Ghana government until February 2013 when Hanny-Sherry Ayittey took over the position.

He has been the Member of Parliament for Nadowli West constituency in the Upper West Region of Ghana in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th parliaments of the 4th republic of Ghana

Bagbin is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and represents the Nadowli West Constituency from the Upper West Region. Bagbin announced his intentions to run for president in 2008 on the NDC ticket, but he never stood for the primaries. He became the Majority Leader in the Ghanaian parliament in 2009.

Following a cabinet reshuffle in January 2010, he was appointed Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing by President Mills. He has also been confirmed as Majority Leader of Parliament under President Mahama's tenure of office, he succeeded Dr Benjamin Kunbuor who was appointed as the Minister of Defense.

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has cautioned the public and his colleagues to be wary of negative criticisms and attacks on Members of Parliament (MPs) over the proposed new parliamentary chamber since the house is yet to take a decision on the motion.

He noted that the negative criticisms on the project and the sheer attacks on MPs had dire consequences for the nation and urged the citizenry to desist from such bad conduct.

He was elected into Parliament during the 1992 Ghanaian General Elections.

1996 Election.

In 1996, he won the Nadowli North seat with 12,605 votes out of the 16,485 valid votes cast representing 56.10% over NPP's Lawrence Banyen who polled 2,213 votes representing 9.90%, Yuoni Moses Vaalandzeri of the PNC polled 1,490 votes representing 6.60% and Baslide Kpemaal of the NCP polled 177 votes representing 0.80 votes.

2000 Election

Bagbin was elected as the member of parliament for the Nadwoli North constituency in the Upper West region of Ghana in the 2000 Ghanaian general elections. He therefore represented the constituency in the 4th parliament of the 4th republic of Ghana.

He was elected with 9,004 votes out of the total votes cast. This is equivalent to 58.60% of the total valid votes cast. He was elected over Dr.Anleu-Mwine D.B an independent Candidate, Clement Kanfuri Senchi of the Peoples National Congress, Ningkpeng Pauline of the New Patriotic Party ,John Bayon Boniface Wetol, Domayele Marcel Aston of the National Reform Party of the United Ghana Movement Party. These obtained 3,411 votes, 2,089 votes,718 votes, 145 votes and 0 votes respectively of the total valid votes cast.

These were equivalent to 22.20%, 13.60%,4.70%, 0.90% and 0.00% respectively of the total valid votes cast. Bagbin was elected on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress. The National Democratic Congress won a total of 7 parliamentary seats in the Upper West Region in that elections.

In all, the party won a minority total of 89 parliamentary representation out of 200seats in the 3rd parliament of the 4th republic of Ghana.

2004 Elections

Bagbin was elected as the member of parliament for the Nadowli West constituency in the Upper West region of Ghana in the 2004 Ghanaian general elections. He therefore represented the constituency in the 4th parliament of the 4th republic of Ghana. He was elected with 11,296 votes out of 22,349 total valid votes cast.

This was equivalent to 50.5% of the total valid votes cast. He was elected over Clement K. Senchi of the People's National Convention, Daniel Anleu-Mwine Baga of the New Patriotic Party, Sasuu Bernard Kabawunu of the Convention People's Party, Bisung Edward of the Democratic People's Party and Dapilaa Ishak an independent candidate.

These obtained 625 votes, 5,297 votes, 152 votes, 188 votes, 4,791 votes respectively. These were equivalent to 2.8%, 23.7%, 0.7%, 0.8% and 21.4% respectively of the total valid votes cast. Bagbin was elected on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress. The National Democratic Congress won a total of 7 parliamentary seats in the Upper West region in that election.

In all, the National Democratic Congress won a minority total of 94 parliamentary representation out of 230 seats in the 4th parliament of the 4th republic of Ghana.