Afenyo-Markin retained as minority leader by NPP in 9th parliament

The National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has finalised and confirmed the party’s leadership structure for the 9th Parliament, outlining its approach to navigating legislative affairs in the upcoming session.

The newly appointed leadership team features Alexander Afenyo-Markin as minority leader, Patricia Apiagyei as deputy minority leader, Frank Annoh-Dompreh as chief whip, Habib Iddrisu as first deputy minority whip, and Jerry Ahmed Shaib as second deputy minority whip.

The appointments were announced after a National Council meeting held in Accra on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

The party plans to convene a follow-up meeting with its Members of Parliament-elect to outline their responsibilities and prepare for the formal commencement of the 9th Parliament.

This leadership selection reflects the NPP’s efforts to maintain unity and ensure effective parliamentary operations, even as it adjusts to the challenges posed by a changing political environment.

The new leadership faces the difficult task of rebuilding the party’s influence after a significant electoral defeat in the 2024 general elections.

The NPP lost more than 50 seats, reducing its representation to 81 seats in the 9th Parliament—down from 137 in the previous session. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) secured over 180 seats, forming a significant majority in parliament.

The party is currently in court seeking to affirm the victories of its candidates in four constituencies. This follows a recount and subsequent redeclaration by the Electoral Commission, overturning the initial wins of the NDC MPs in those areas.