Alban Bagbin credits NPP support for his 2021 election as Speaker

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has disclosed that his historic election in 2021 was made possible by votes from New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament, rather than unanimous backing from his own party. Speaking at the IPR Ghana 2026 National PR Conference, Bagbin revealed that several members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) failed to support his candidacy during the secret ballot. This revelation sheds new light on the dramatic proceedings that inaugurated the 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

The election, which took place in January 2021, occurred within the context of a hung Parliament where neither the NDC nor the NPP held a clear majority. Bagbin recounted the contentious battle against the NPP's candidate and then-incumbent Speaker, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye. Despite being the NDC's nominee, Bagbin stated that he did not have the full support of his caucus, and it was the crossover support from the NPP side that ultimately allowed him to secure the speakership.

Bagbin’s victory was a milestone in Ghanaian political history, as he became the first individual from an opposition party to serve as Speaker of the Fourth Republic. At the time, the voting process was marred by intense physical confrontations and military intervention on the floor of the House, but the final tally confirmed Bagbin's selection. By reflecting on these events in 2026, the Speaker emphasized the cross-party dynamics that defined the early years of the 8th Parliament and the necessity of bipartisan cooperation in a nearly evenly split legislature.