Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, says he is not worried about the numerical disadvantage of his party in Parliament, emphasising that what matters most is the substance of their contribution to national discourse and democracy.
According to him, strong democratic systems are built not only on numbers but on the ability of political actors to demonstrate leadership, resilience, and ideas that enrich national governance.
“I’m not in any way worried about the numbers. Like I indicated in my opening remarks in Parliament, it’s about substance,” he stated on Joy News on Monday, October 27.
“Before the final destination, you need to demonstrate your weight. And for me, that is what enriches democracy.”
Reflecting on his party’s current state, Afenyo-Markin drew parallels with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under now Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, during its years in opposition, noting that political revival is possible through perseverance and strategy.
“The state we find ourselves as a party, though novel in a sense in terms of the numbers, has happened before to the NDC. I draw a lot of inspiration from the Bagbin-era NDC opposition,” he said.
He recalled how the NDC, after its loss of power in 2000, went through a period of disarray but eventually regained strength.
“The first time they lost power, there was total confusion. 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. By 2004, they had momentum on their side, and by 2008, they surprised the nation,” he noted.
The Effutu MP acknowledged that the New Patriotic Party (NPP), now in opposition, must confront its shortcomings with honesty and humility, while building on its achievements.
“As a politician, you should not be shy of your weakness. You come into government, you have your success story, and you have your failings,” he said.
He admitted that the NPP administration faced major challenges in office, including difficulties in addressing illegal mining and economic pressures that alienated parts of its traditional support base.
“We were faced with huge challenges. We tried, but we were not too successful. Typical example, galamsey. We lost the middle class, the businessmen. There were haircuts, pensioners, educated people who ordinarily would vote NPP got disappointed,” he explained.
However, Afenyo-Markin highlighted key achievements such as the Free Senior High School policy and the One District, One Factory initiative, which he said created lasting benefits for Ghanaians and boosted investor confidence.
“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.
He conceded that despite these successes, unmet public expectations contributed to the party’s electoral loss.
“Eventually, all these gains, because of our inability to meet the higher expectations of the Ghanaian people, we lost out,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin expressed optimism that the NPP can rebuild, regroup, and regain public confidence, stressing that setbacks in politics are opportunities for reflection and renewal rather than despair.
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