How Bagbin, Sekyi-Hughes and Owusu Agyapong shocked Nigerian MP at a conference

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has disclosed how a Nigerian lawmaker was left astounded by the show of unity and camaraderie between him, the then Speaker and majority leader of the fourth parliament.

Bagbin recounted that the Nigerian lawmaker could not come to terms with the fact that the Minority Leader of a country could have such cordial relationships with his opposing leader.

At the 52nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held in Nigeria, Bagbin who was then Minority Leader says he was constantly seen with the then Speaker of Parliament, Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi-Hughes and Majority Leader Felix Owusu Agyapong.

Bagbin said when a Nigerian MP learnt that the trio belonged to the two main political parties in Ghana, he was pleasantly surprised at the maturity and unity exhibited by the Ghanaian lawmakers.

“I was moving with the then Speaker and the Majority Leader. We were always together – sitting, talking and eating together – and one of the Nigerian MPs stopped me and said, “they say you are the opposing leader in Ghana and I said yes. Are you sure you are the opposing leader? And I said yes, I am the opposing leader,” he narrated adding “And he asked how can you be sleeping on the same bed with them and you said you are an opposing leader? And I said do you want to see me fighting them? That is not opposition.”

Bagbin was speaking to a visiting delegation of Ethiopia’s Political Parties Joint Council (EPPJC) in Parliament on Wednesday, August 11, 2021.

Bagbin intimated that being in opposition should not be a reason to continue fighting the government in power.

“Opposition is not about fighting the one in power because as for change nothing can stop it. It is one of the things that nothing can stop. It will happen when it will happen,” Mr. Bagbin said.

Bagbin also revealed that the Nigerain MP was shocked by the smooth transition of power from late Former President Jerry John Rawlings to John Agyekum Kufuor.

“The Nigerian MP told me it can never happen in Nigeria. Are you from Rawlings’ party and I said yes. So you people sat there and allowed the opposition party to take power from you? And I said we were not even sitting; we were standing and they took it from us. He ssid it can never happen in Nigeria but it eventually happened,” he stated.