Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Nadowli Kaleo, Alban Sumani Bagbin of the National Democratic Congress has been elected Speaker of the 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
He won a chaotic, closely contested secret ballot in the Chamber of Parliament on Thursday against former Speaker, Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye.
One of the oldest serving MPs polled 138 votes against his predecessor’s 136 with one spoilt ballot.
The long dragging process, which started at 12:am on Thursday, January 7, delayed the swearing-in of MPs-elect.
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Mr Bagbin had served as an MP since 1992 and was the Second Deputy Speaker of the 7th parliament which was dissolved at midnight on January 6, 2021.
He didn’t contest in the parliamentary elections in 2020 and his name came up for election as Speaker when the National Democratic Congress and New Patriotic Party won an equal number of seats in the polls.
Mr Bagbin, a former Health Minister in the Mills administration in 2008, became Majority Leader in Parliament in 2009.
Following a Cabinet reshuffle in January 2010, he was appointed Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing by the late President John Atta Mills.
In the Mahama administration, he was the Majority Leader of Parliament after he succeeded Dr Benjamin Kunbuor who was appointed as the Minister of Defense.