Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has urged the newly sworn-in Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North, Ewurabena Aubynn, to remain grounded, diligent, and committed to the trust her constituents have placed in her.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament following her swearing-in on Tuesday, July 22, Speaker Bagbin extended his congratulations to Aubynn and reminded her of the significant responsibilities of public office.
“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,” Bagbin said.
He further emphasized the weight of the public trust that now rested on her shoulders. “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,” the Speaker added.
In a moment of caution, Speaker Bagbin reminded Aubynn of the fleeting nature of her tenure, advising her not to be distracted by external pressures. “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.”
Aubynn’s swearing-in was marred by a protest from the Minority Caucus, who walked out in objection to the Speaker’s decision to deny Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the opportunity to make a statement prior to the ceremony. The Minority’s walkout overshadowed what should have been a moment of celebration for the new MP.
Aubynn’s assumption of office follows a controversial parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency. The rerun was necessitated after the Electoral Commission (EC) annulled the original results of the December 2024 parliamentary election due to multiple allegations of electoral irregularities and the submission of unauthenticated pink sheets.
The EC cited several reasons for the annulment, including unsigned result forms, discrepancies in vote tallies, and procedural errors during the collation process.
The rerun was held on Friday, July 11, across 19 polling stations, where Ewurabena Aubynn of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) emerged victorious with 34,090 votes, narrowly defeating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Akua Afriyie, who garnered 33,881 votes.
With her swearing-in now complete, all eyes are on Aubynn as she begins her parliamentary journey in a highly scrutinized and competitive constituency.
