The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has called on newly sworn-in Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North, Ewurabena Aubynn, to remain humble, committed, and fully dedicated to the responsibilities entrusted to her by the electorate.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, July 22, moments after administering the oath of office, the Speaker congratulated the NDC lawmaker and reminded her of the enormous expectations her constituents have placed on her shoulders.
“I will take this opportunity to congratulate you and also urge you to be punctual, ever present in Parliament, be calm, listen more, learn from your colleagues, but please read everything, and not only the Constitution and the Standing Orders,” he advised.
He continued, “You are now the hope of the people in the constituency. They are looking up to you to do something to improve their lives. It is a trust, and this I pray you don’t abuse.”
Cautioning against complacency or external distractions, the Speaker stressed the limited window MPs have to make an impact: “Four years is just a day. You will go back to them, and they will assess you this time based on your performance. So please don’t be misled by other people.”
However, the swearing-in ceremony was overshadowed by drama, as the Minority Caucus staged a walkout in protest. The boycott stemmed from the Speaker’s refusal to allow Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh to deliver a statement ahead of the event.
Aubynn’s induction into Parliament follows a fiercely contested and controversial rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency. The Electoral Commission had nullified the original December 2024 election results in 19 polling stations after uncovering significant irregularities, including unsigned pink sheets, vote tally inconsistencies, and procedural lapses in collation.
In the rerun held on Friday, July 11, Ewurabena Aubynn of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) clinched victory with 34,090 votes, narrowly edging out the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Akua Afriyie, who garnered 33,881 votes.
Despite the tension surrounding her entry into Parliament, Aubynn now takes her seat as the representative of Ablekuma North, with the Speaker urging her to uphold the dignity of her office and serve her people with diligence.
