Afenyo-Markin apologises after loose talk

Near Chaos broke out in Parliament when Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin criticized John Mahama’s running mate, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, accusing her of failing to deliver on her mandates in previous government positions attacking the former UCC Vice-Chancellor of old age of over 70 years that offers no hope for the future and succession plan.

Afenyo-Markin claimed that Mahama made a poor choice in selecting her as his running mate, suggesting that they represented the same, old NDC party. He argued that Mahama lacked urgency because he had nothing to lose, especially with an older running mate of over 70 years who he believed had underperformed in her role as Minister of Education.

The remarks sparked anger from the NDC members in Parliament, who demanded an apology from Afenyo-Markin for his comments. Minority MPs argued that he cannot support an 80-year old Akufo-Addo and turned round to attack a 70-year old woman and first Female Vice-Chancellor of Ghana. The tension led to the suspension of the House for an hour by the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako.

After the break, the Majority Leader withdrew his statements, and the debate on the State of the Nation Address resumed. Members of the NDC continued to express their displeasure at the remarks made about their running mate, emphasizing her accomplishments and demanding respect for her as a woman in leadership.