Former President John Mahama has congratulated Alban Sumana Bagbin for his selection as Speaker of the 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

He said the election of one of the oldest-serving MPs "affirms what a great democracy we can build for ourselves and how dialogue and consensus building can make us even stronger as a nation."

The former Nadowli Kaleo MP won a chaotic, closely contested secret ballot in the Chamber of Parliament on Thursday against former Speaker, Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye.

Mr Bagbin contested and lost to Mr Mahama for the 2020 presidential ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He has been in Parliament since 1992.

The former Mahama appointee polled 138 votes against his predecessors 136 with one legislator failing to vote.

Mr Bagbin makes history for being the first Speaker of Parliament who is not selected by the governing party.

Mr Mahama who contested the December 2020 polls as the presidential candidate of the NDC congratulated the leadership of the NDC Caucus and the Caucus members for their dedication and commitment.