Alban Bagbin: 10 important facts about Ghana’s 8th Speaker of Parliament

Alban Bagbin has been elected the Speaker of parliament for the 8th parliament of the 4th republic of Ghana. Prior to that, he has served in several capacities in Parliament since 1992 as; second deputy speaker of parliament, minority leader, chairman of several committees in Parliament among others. In this article, we bring to you 10 important facts you need to know about the affable legislator.

He is a Post-independent born'

The current speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin was born on 24th September 1957, some six months after Ghana gained independence from her colonial masters Great Britain on 6th March 1957.

He is the longest-serving member of parliament.

Honourable Alban Bagbin is in the history books as Ghana's longest-serving member of parliament. He has been in parliament for 28 years starting from 1993. This has earned him the accolade "Ground father of parliament"

Alban Bagbin is a Lawyer

The affable Speaker obtained his law certificate from the Ghana school of law, Makola in 1982 and was called to the bar the same year. He also holds an Executive Masters in Governance and Leadership from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

He was a private legal practitioner.

After he was called to the Bar in 1982, Alban Bagbin practised as a private legal practitioner in the Akyem Chambers, a firm of legal practitioners, consultants and notaries public, as a partner.

He unsuccessfully bid to become a flag bearer

Bagbin lost his bid to lead the National Democratic Congress in the 2020 elections to former president John Mahama.

He hails from Sombo'

Alban Sumani Bagbin was born and raised in Sombo in the Upper West region of Ghana.

Alban Bagbin is a Catholic

The current speaker of Parliament is a Christian and a catholic by denomination.

He Attended two secondary schools

Right, Honorable Alban Bagbin started his second cycle education at Wa Secondary but completed Tamale Secondary school.

He did not run again for Parliament in the 2020 elections.

Bagbin did not contest again as Member of Parliament leading to the 2020 elections. He was succeeded by Mr Sumah Anthony Mwinkaara who is the current MP for Nadowli Kaleo constituency.

He has always been a Leader

One important fact about Bagbin you may not be aware of is that he has held leadership positions throughout his tenure as Member of Parliament.

In the first Parliament of the Fourth Republic, he was made the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislation and Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy and Member of the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development.

In the Second Parliament of the Fourth Republic, Mr Bagbin was the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs with oversight responsibilities for the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Electoral Commission, National Commission on Civic Education, Office of Parliament and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

He was also the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee from 2001 to 2005.

He was also the Vice-Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

He was also the Minister for Health in the Ghana government until February 2013