Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has equaled the record of the late Justice Daniel Francis Annan by being elected and sworn into office as Speaker of Parliament for a second term.
He has also set a record of being part of all Parliaments of Ghana since January 7, 1993 both as a Member of Parliament and Speaker of Parliament.

Apart from Justice D. F. Annan, the first Speaker under the 4th Republican Constitution of 1992, who served two terms from January 7, 1993, to January 6, 1997, and then from January 7, 1997, to January 6, 2001, all other Speakers of Parliament have served one term each.

The election and swearing into office of Mr Bagbin for the second term as Speaker in the 9th Parliament, therefore makes him equal Justice D.F. Annan's record.

All other Speakers did one term. For Justice D.F. Annan, he did his two terms under the same President, Jerry John Rawlings. 

But for Bagbin, he is doing it under two different presidents and in the tenure of two different political parties, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and John Dramani of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

It also makes Mr Bagbin the only person who has been part of all the nine Parliaments under the 1992 Constitution,

He started on January 7, 1993, as a Member of Parliament, representing the people of Nadowli.

He held on to that position until January 6, 2021, and became Speaker on January 7, 2021.

A list of all Speakers under the 4th Republic

• Justice Daniel Francis Annan - January 7, 1993 to January 6, 1997

• Justice Daniel Francis Annan - January 7, 1997 to January 6, 2001

• Peter Ala Adjetey -  January 7, 2001 to January 6, 2005

• Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes - January 7, 2005 to January 6, 2009

• Justice Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo - January 7, 2009 to January 6, 2013

• Edward Doe Adjaho - January 7, 2013 to January 6, 2017

• Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye - January 7, 2017 to January 6, 2021

• Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin - January 7, 2021 to January 6, 2025

• Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin - January 7, 2021 to ...

Who is Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin

Mr Bagbin attended the Sombo R. C. Primary and the Wa Secondary Schools in the Upper West Region, and proceeded to the Tamale Secondary School in the Northern Region where he obtained his Advanced Level Certificate in 1977.

He gained admission to the University of Ghana School of Law and graduated in 1980 with a Degree in Law and English.

He enrolled at the Ghana Law School and was subsequently called to the Bar in 1982.

He holds a Certificate in Privatization in Public Utilities and Infrastructure from the Eastern South Africa Management Institute (ESAMI), Tanzania, and an Executive Master’s Degree in Governance and Leadership from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in 2008.

Mr Bagbin earlier worked with the antecedent of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) as Assistant Administrative Officer and acting Secretary to the Board.

Having joined the Akyem Chambers earlier, he continued with his legal practice whilst at GSS.

He was later employed by the erstwhile State Hotels Corporation as Personnel Manager before leaving for Libya to teach English.

He returned in 1986 and between 1989 and 1992, he was the external solicitor for a number of Banks, Industries, Stools and other clients.

Later, he established a private Law Firm, the Law Trust Company, together with two partners. He was the Managing Partner.

The Speaker was elected MP in 1992 and sworn into Parliament in January 1993.

He chaired various committees of Parliament, including the Public Accounts Committee, Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, and House Committee.

He first led the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as the Minority Leader in Parliament from January 7, 2001.

In this role, he distinguished himself. In January 2009, he was again appointed this time as the Majority Leader.

He was later brought into the Executive to serve as the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, and also as Minister of Health.

He also worked as an adviser in the Office of the President.

He was returned to Parliament leadership once more as the indefatigable Majority Leader. Again, he distinguished himself.

In January 2017, as the record 7th Term MP for Nadowli, he was elected as the 2nd Deputy Speaker to serve under the Speakership of Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye Snr., in the 7th Parliament.

Speaker Bagbin has served on a number of Boards and international organisations including the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Group (ACP), the European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly (EUJPA), International Council for Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), and Global Organization for Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC). He served on the Governing Board of the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA), Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), National Media Commission (NMC) and the Legal Aid Board.

He was eventually elected as Speaker of the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana.

He has been in Parliament since January 1993 to January 2021 as MP for Nadowli and from January 2021 to January 2025 as the substantive Speaker.

He is the immediate past President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and also the President of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments in Africa.

He has been a Member of the Ghana Bar Association since 1982. 43yrs at the Bar

Speaking after his election and swearing as Speaker for the 9th Parliament on Tuesday dawn [Jan 7], Mr Bagbin expressed sincere appreciation for the opportunity to remain in his role as Speaker.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Bagbin extended his gratitude to the President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, and to the National Democratic Congress leadership for their confidence in his candidacy.

He also thanked the members of the House for their continued trust in working with him and assured them that he would leverage his experience to guide the House in fulfilling its duties with both efficiency and dedication.

Attached below is a copy of his acceptance speech below

Your Ladyship, the Chief Justice, Justice Mrs. Gertrude Araba Esaba Sackey Torkornu, Honourable Members of Parliament-Elects, your Excellencies, members of the Diplomatic Corps present, our most revered spiritual and traditional leaders, distinguished invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great humility that I accept to serve the Republic of Ghana,  having had the same honour to be Speaker of the Eighth Parliament. 

I am grateful to the Almighty God for His grace and mercies for me to achieve this rare feat. To Him be all the praise and honour.

Honourable Members of Parliament-Elects, you have proposed in me to be Speaker and to head this Honourable House once more. I also express my gratitude to the President Elect, His Excellency John Brahmani Mahama, for the trust and confidence in my candidature, in consultation with the leadership of the great National Democratic Congress, to the Ninth Parliament, with my experience as the longest legislator of the House. I now come to the Ninth Parliament with the experience of four years of speakership of a very difficult-hung Parliament.

I promise to bring all these experiences to bear, in guiding this House to perform its mandate with efficiency, diligence, and above all, with a sense of being, the bulwark of democracy in Ghana. To the good people of Ghana, who continue to hope for a better Ghana, I urge you to support your Parliament and be interested and engaged with the work of Parliament. 

As the Standing Orders of Parliament directs, after we have performed this duty of electing me as the Speaker of Parliament, I will have a singular honour and duty posed by the Standing Orders of the House, that is, to swear in the members-elect, and proceed to supervise the election of two Deputy Speakers of the House.

Once again, I am very grateful for this great honour, and thank you so much.