Bawumia will soon remove Afenyo-Markin as Minority Leader – Apanga
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Gaming Commission, Lamtiig Apanga, has predicted that 2028 New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will eventually replace Alexander Afenyo-Markin as the party’s Minority Leader in Parliament.
Mr Apanga attributed Mr Afenyo-Markin’s recent criticism of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and its Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, partly to what he described as the Minority Leader’s efforts to maintain his relevance within the NPP.
His comments come amid a growing disagreement between Mr Afenyo-Markin and Mr Gyamfi over alleged GH¢22 billion (about US$1.7 billion) in losses linked to the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP) in 2025.
Mr Gyamfi has accused the Minority Leader of targeting GoldBod with a smear campaign instead of pursuing genuine accountability. Mr Afenyo-Markin, however, insists that the Minority’s concerns are legitimate and based on available facts, and has called for answers over the reported financial losses.
Speaking to Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, August 22, Mr Apanga said Mr Afenyo-Markin appeared frustrated and would have to work hard to maintain his influence within the NPP.
He claimed that Dr Bawumia would eventually replace Mr Afenyo-Markin as Minority Leader, saying it was only a matter of time.
Mr Apanga further argued that Mr Afenyo-Markin and the NPP were attacking GoldBod because they lacked a clear strategy to promote the government’s gold policy.
He also attributed Mr Afenyo-Markin’s alleged frustration to the NPP’s poor performance in the 2024 parliamentary elections, arguing that the Minority Leader was seeking to remain politically relevant through his continued criticism of GoldBod.
Despite his criticism, Mr Apanga acknowledged that the Minority Leader has a responsibility to scrutinise government policies and help position the NPP for the next general election.
Meanwhile, Mr Afenyo-Markin has indicated that he intends to take legal action against Mr Gyamfi over comments he considers defamatory.
The decision follows Mr Gyamfi’s challenge to the Minority Leader to take him to court if he believed the allegation describing him as an “extortionist” was untrue.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, August 22, Mr Afenyo-Markin said he would pursue the appropriate legal channels to protect his reputation. He also maintained that his scrutiny of GoldBod was part of Parliament’s constitutional responsibility to oversee government activities.
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