The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has opened up about the challenges of parliamentary leadership, describing his tenure as one that required immense resilience and strategy.
“You don’t go into politics without preparation,” he stated on the KSM show monitored by MyNewsGh. “There are two sides—yours and the opposing side. Each has its supporters. But if you don’t push back, your back will always be against the wall.”
Recalling his journey in Parliament, Afenyo-Markin detailed how he was thrown into the fray early on.
“I started as a backbencher in 2013, but I was pushed into the middle bench to do the advocacy. I had to throw punches. When we entered government, I didn’t make it into leadership, but my role remained—pushing back, giving it back.”
Discussing the political landscape, he highlighted the contrasting nature of the two major parties in Ghana.
“The NPP is a middle-class party. The NDC has its roots in the revolution and is a grassroots party. So, when you are dealing with them, you can’t go in with a weak strategy, or you’ll stay in opposition forever,” he asserted.
Afenyo-Markin explained that in the last four years, parliamentary battles were intense.
“It was 137 against 137. Pound for pound, every single day. The NDC had a strong team, and they were always on the attack. Meanwhile, many of our strong men were in government, and some MPs on our side didn’t have the same energy levels to fight back.”
