Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, issued a pointed reminder of the responsibilities of public office on Tuesday, urging newly sworn-in Ablekuma North Member of Parliament Ewurabena Aubynn to approach her role with humility and disciplipne.
“You are now the hope of the people in the constituency,” Bagbin said during remarks delivered on the floor of Parliament. “They are looking up to you to improve their lives. It is a trust—and this I pray you don’t abuse.”
The Speaker emphasized the fleeting nature of political tenure, telling Aubynn that “four years is just a day,” and cautioning her to focus on results rather than political distractions. “They will assess you this time based on your performance,” he added.
Aubynn’s swearing-in comes on the heels of a disputed parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency. The July 11 vote was triggered after Ghana’s Electoral Commission nullified results from the original December 2024 election due to procedural lapses, including unsigned result forms and discrepancies in vote tallies at 19 polling stations.
In the rerun, Aubynn, representing the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), secured a razor-thin victory—defeating incumbent Akua Afriyie of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) by just 209 votes, with a final count of 34,090 to 33,881.
The formal swearing-in, however, was not without controversy. Members of the Minority Caucus staged a walkout in protest after Speaker Bagbin declined to allow Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh to speak prior to the ceremony. The protest underscored simmering tensions within Parliament as political alignments continue to shift.
Bagbin, addressing the chamber amid the protest, encouraged Aubynn to remain a student of the legislative process, urging her to read beyond the Constitution and Standing Orders and to listen and learn from colleagues across the aisle.
Aubynn’s entry into Parliament bolsters the NDC’s representation and adds symbolic weight to the party’s inroads in constituencies traditionally aligned with the NPP. Her performance over the next four years, as the Speaker made clear, will be closely watched—not only by her constituents but also by party strategists eyeing gains ahead of the next general election.
