Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Gaming Commission, Lamtiig Apanga, has predicted that the 2028 New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will soon replace Alexander Afenyo-Markin as Minority Leader in Parliament.
According to Mr Apanga, Mr Afenyo-Markin’s recent attacks on the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and its Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, are driven partly by his struggle to remain relevant within the NPP.
His comments come amid a dispute between Mr Afenyo-Markin and Mr Gyamfi over reported losses of GH¢22 billion, equivalent to about US$1.7 billion, associated with the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP) in 2025.
Mr Gyamfi has accused the Minority Leader of pursuing a smear campaign against GoldBod rather than engaging in genuine public accountability. Mr Afenyo-Markin, however, has maintained that the Minority’s concerns are based on facts and has demanded accountability over the reported losses.
Speaking in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, August 22, Mr Apanga claimed, “Afenyo-Markin’s body language clearly demonstrates how frustrated he is. And he will have to fight hard to remain relevant within the NPP. We know for sure that Bawumia is going to change him very soon. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Afenyo-Markin and the NPP are doing this because they lack the idea to push the GoldBod policy, something we have been able to do,” he said.
Mr Apanga argued that Mr Afenyo-Markin’s body language and tone during his public engagements showed that he was frustrated by the NPP’s performance in the 2024 parliamentary elections.
“He’s frustrated because he led the NPP in one of its worst parliamentary defeats. You know that for sure. He is struggling to remain relevant within the NPP by continuing with these attacks,” he said.
He acknowledged that the Minority Leader had a role to play in scrutinising government policies and helping the NPP prepare for the next general election.
Meanwhile, Mr Afenyo-Markin has announced plans to pursue legal action against Mr Gyamfi over what he describes as defamatory allegations made against him.
The decision follows Mr Gyamfi’s challenge to the Minority Leader to sue him if he believed the allegation that he was an “extortionist” was false.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, August 22, Mr Afenyo-Markin said he would seek the appropriate legal remedies to clear his name, while maintaining that his scrutiny of GoldBod formed part of Parliament’s constitutional oversight responsibilities.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
