Bagbin’s use of “micro-Minority” draws sharp criticism from NPP Caucus

Speaker Alban Bagbin’s use of the term “micro-minority” to describe New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament sparked heated reactions during a debate in Parliament on Wednesday (8 January).

The remark triggered protests from Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who condemned it as inappropriate and disrespectful.

“The Minority Caucus hereby protest the description given to us by the Speaker,” Afenyo-Markin declared, as his colleagues voiced their discontent with chants of disapproval. He argued that the term undermined the dignity of the NPP caucus and demanded a retraction.

In response, Speaker Bagbin admitted that Afenyo-Markin’s concerns were valid but pointed out that the Effutu MP had previously used the phrase in a similar context.

The expression “micro-minority” first gained prominence on 13 December 2024 when NDC Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia used it during a press conference. He was responding to Afenyo-Markin’s criticisms of alleged disruptions caused by NDC supporters at collation centers during the elections.

Asiedu Nketia remarked, “I heard my junior brother Afenyo-Markin, who, having rejected the position of Minority Leader, is now on his way to becoming a micro Minority Leader. He is bragging that he belongs to a party of the rule of law and all that.”

This followed accusations of chaos and the reported invasion of state institutions by individuals purportedly aligned with the incoming NDC administration, which Afenyo-Markin had called detrimental to democracy.

The renewed use of the term in Parliament has reignited debates about the dynamics within the NPP and the challenges of managing political transitions. Afenyo-Markin himself had previously expressed unease with being referred to as the “Minority Leader,” citing spiritual reasons for refusing to occupy the Minority Leader’s seat in Parliament