'We made you Speaker' – Afenyo-Markin slams Bagbin for referring to NPP caucus as 'Micro-Minority'

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) members of the 9th Parliament of Ghana took umbrage with Speaker Alban Bagbin over his description of their caucus as a ‘Micro-Minority’ Caucus.

The NPP members of Parliament (MPs) were up in arms after the Speaker referred to them as a ‘Micro-Minority’ while making a remark during proceedings on Wednesday, January 8, 2024.

The Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, on behalf of his caucus, expressed his displeasure at the Speaker’s description.

He claimed that without the help of his caucus, Bagbin would not have been re-elected as Speaker of the 9th Parliament.

He said that while the Majority Caucus -the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs - were scheming to oust Speaker Bagbin, the NPP MPs stood their ground to ensure that he was re-elected.

“Speaker, with respect, I shall respond to what you just said about your duty to protect the ‘Micro-Minority. Mr. Speaker, the rules of this House provide for the Minority and the Majority. Mr. Speaker, we do not have any ‘Micro-Minority. Mr. Speaker, the Minority caucus hereby protests the description given to us by you. Mr. Speaker, we find this unacceptable.

“Mr. Speaker, we seconded your proposal and the motion for your election. Mr. Speaker, when the so-called majority was even conspiring against you, we protested. We stopped them from that conspiracy. Mr. Speaker, it was us, the Minority of conscience,” he fumed.

He added, “This minority is the conscience of this House. Today the so-called Majority could not get its members to come to the House – 61 of you are absent. Mr. Speaker, we don't accept the description ‘Micro-Minority,’ we are the Minority, simplicita. Speaker, please, kindly, Mr. Speaker, describe us as such. We are the Minority. We are not Micro-Minority.”

Speaker Bagbin accepted fault and said that he, for the sake of records, cannot refer to the NPP caucus as ‘Micro-Minority’.

He, however, cheekily noted that the leaders of the House are free to refer to the NPP caucus as ‘Micro-Minority,’ which further infuriated Afenyo-Markin, who said, “Nobody should ever use the term ‘micro-minority’ to describe the NPP in parliament.”

Watch the incident in the video below:

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