Afenyo-Markin details how Kufuor, other NPP elders 'blocked' his 2004 parliamentary bid

Minority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has opened up about the 2004 internal party power play that saw NPP elders halt his first attempt at the Effutu seat.

His experience sought to explain hurdles often faced by young politicians within Ghana’s major parties.

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Speaking to the issue during an engagement with TESCON members at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on March 24, 2026, Afenyo-Markin described the incident as one of the most difficult decisions he has ever encountered in his political journey.

He disclosed that he was summoned to a meeting by party elders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which was at the time presided over by former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

He stated that he was asked to stand aside on the grounds that he was too young.

“... As a parliamentary candidate in 2004, a few days before filing at the EC, we were called to the castle. President John Agyekum Kufuor presided over the meeting. Some party elders said I was too young to be a Member of Parliament,” Afenyo-Markin stated.

He added that the decision did not come easy, as he cried; however, he stepped down, placing the party’s interest above his own.

“I was prevailed upon to step down. That was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make. I cried, but I had to step down, placing the interests of the party above my own,” he said.

The Effutu MP further disclosed that he faced another challenging moment during the party’s primaries in 2008.

“Again in 2008, there was a tie at the primaries. Party elders decided that the sitting Member of Parliament, the late Owusu Adjei should have a casting vote. Upon exercising that mandate, the final result stood at 23 against 22,” he continued.

“Once again, I accepted the outcome and stood firmly with the party, reaffirming the principle of service before personal ambition. These experiences are living examples of how TESCON's values are tested in practice and not just in theory,” he added.

Afenyo-Markin noted that these experiences have shaped his political career and reinforced his commitment to party loyalty and service.

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He added that he is now a fourth-term Member of Parliament for the Effutu constituency.

“With all those years of sacrifice, today I serve as a fourth term Member of Parliament,” he stated.

@the1957news LIVE | Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin recounts the most difficult decision he has ever made in his political journey, revealing that he was asked by party elders to step down a few days before filing at the EC as the parliamentary candidate for Afutu in 2004 #the1957news ♬ original sound - The1957News