The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has called for the retention of Alexander Afenyo-Markin as the leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus in the next Parliament.

Mr Osei-Owusu, who is retiring at the end of his current term, emphasised the importance of longevity and experience in parliamentary leadership.

His comments come amidst intense lobbying by senior NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) seeking to secure the position of caucus leader when the 9th Parliament is inaugurated next year.

He believed for the sake of unity, the Effutu MP Afenyo-Markin must be retained.

“I strongly believe in longevity and experience. From our own actions and inactions, you can see that when Kyei [Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, former Majority Leader] served as both Minority and Majority Leader, he stood out very clearly.

"But it didn't happen by accident. He started as a Chief Whip and grew up to become a leader. Longevity brings experience and clarity. I would not support any request for a new person to be brought into the picture," he said.

He further argued that there is no one within the NPP, aside from Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who possesses the necessary experience to lead the caucus as effectively as Afenyo-Markin.

“Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is leaving Parliament.  He is the only person who has some experience which will be useful going forward. So I will not recommend any other person. My view is that, let Afenyo-Markin’s continue,” he stated.

The Deputy Speaker also underscored the critical role of the caucus leader in the next Parliament, given the NPP's reduced numbers.

Mr Osei-Owusu highlighted the need for a strong and assertive leader who can effectively represent the caucus, even though their influence on decisions will be limited due to their minority status.

“Where we are now, we [NPP] need to be combative. We can never influence decisions. We cannot change any decision, but our voices must be very loudly heard in and out of the chamber, but it requires somebody who is strong and hot-headed and willing to stand the heat,” he added.