Also known as: Mr Ahiafor · Mr. Ahiafor · First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Bernard Ahiafor · First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor · Hon. Bernard Ahiafor · Mr Bernard Ahiafor
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament who chairs parliamentary proceedings and represents Parliament at international engagements on trade and democratic governance.
… CAUTION First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor, commenting on the matter, reminded Members of Parliament that although they enjoy constitutional immunity for statements made in the chamber, such comments could still trigger proceedings before the Privileges Committee. …
The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Akatsi South, Mr Bernard Ahiafor, has cautioned Members of Parliament against making offensive or misleading comments during parliamentary proceedings. …
… The protest followed a ruling by the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, who disallowed a supplementary question from the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, during Question Time on the government’s planned fresh biometric SIM registration exercise. …
… The protest followed a ruling by the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, who disallowed a supplementary question from the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, during Question Time on the government’s planned fresh biometric SIM registration exercise. …
… The First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, granted the request for the in-camera session, after which journalists were ordered to leave the Public Gallery, before proceedings began. …
… The First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, granted the request for the in-camera session, after which journalists were ordered to leave the Public Gallery, before proceedings began. …
… Bernard Ahiafor, and the Clerk to Parliament, Mr Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror. The event formed part of a two-day programme organised by Parliament to mark the anniversary of Justice Annan’s passing. …
During Parliament debate on the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga attacked Deputy Minority Chief Whip Habib Iddrisu for stating that market women would have attacked Finance Minister Dr Ato Forson if he visited markets. Ayariga described Iddrisu's comments as "irresponsible" and "reprehensible," saying such remarks had no place in the country's law-making chamber.
During Parliament debate on the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga attacked Deputy Minority Chief Whip Habib Iddrisu for stating that market women would have attacked Finance Minister Dr Ato Forson if he visited markets. Ayariga described Iddrisu's comments as "irresponsible" and "reprehensible," saying such remarks had no place in the country's law-making chamber.
The First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor cautioned MPs against making offensive or misleading comments during parliamentary proceedings, citing violations of Standing Orders and rules that could lead to disorderliness. The caution followed comments by First Deputy Minority Whip Habib Iddrisu about market traders' reactions to the Finance Minister's mid-year budget statement.
The Minority Caucus staged a parliamentary walkout after the First Deputy Speaker disallowed a supplementary question from the Minority Leader about the cost of a planned biometric SIM registration exercise, with the Minority accusing the Chair of using Standing Orders to stifle parliamentary oversight.
The Minority Caucus staged a walkout in Parliament on Wednesday after the First Deputy Speaker disallowed a supplementary question from the Minority Leader about the cost of a planned nationwide biometric SIM registration exercise, citing Standing Orders. The Minority Leader accused the First Deputy Speaker of repeatedly using parliamentary rules to stifle opposition scrutiny and undermine Parliament's oversight responsibility.
The Minority accused the NDC Majority of deliberately shielding the Bank of Ghana Governor from publicly acknowledging the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme's role in cedi stability. The Majority's request for a closed-door parliamentary session prompted the Minority to walk out, arguing the issues were matters of public interest that should be debated openly.
The NDC Majority in Parliament requested an in-camera session with the Bank of Ghana Governor, excluding journalists and the public, to discuss cedi stability and central bank management. The Minority accused the Majority of deliberately shielding the Governor from publicly acknowledging the role of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme—an NPP policy—in stabilizing the cedi, and staged a walkout in protest.
The Minority Caucus staged a walkout after the Majority's decision to have Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Asiama brief Parliament's Committee of the Whole behind closed doors, arguing that matters of public interest—including the cedi's stability linked to the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme—should be discussed openly. The Minority contended that the Governor's written parliamentary responses contained no classified information and should have been debated in public.
The Minority Caucus walked out after Parliament's Committee of the Whole met in camera to hear from Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Asiama, with journalists excluded. The Minority argued the engagement involved matters of public interest and that the Governor's written responses to parliamentary questions, already published, contained no classified information and should have been discussed openly.
Parliament held a wreath-laying ceremony at the Osu Cemetery in memory of the late Rt. Hon. Justice Daniel Francis Annan, the first Speaker of Parliament under Ghana's Fourth Republic, who served from 1993 to 2001. The ceremony, led by the First Deputy Speaker and the Clerk to Parliament, concluded a two-day observance that began with statements on the floor by Majority and Minority leadership reflecting on his contributions to Ghana's democratic governance.
The Bank of Ghana's Governor stated that the central bank made no direct foreign exchange market interventions between August 2024 and December 2025. Instead, BoG relied on the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme and foreign exchange from mining, oil and gas companies to support market liquidity, with a new framework introduced on November 11, 2025.
Mahama Ayariga defended Parliament's decision to hold committee proceedings involving the Governor of the Bank of Ghana behind closed doors as consistent with Standing Orders and parliamentary convention, after the Minority staged a walkout in protest over the practice and disagreements about parliamentary procedures.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor of using parliamentary procedures to frustrate the Minority's constitutional oversight role. The accusation follows a Minority walkout after the First Deputy Speaker disallowed a supplementary question about SIM card re-registration procurement processes, with Afenyo-Markin arguing that parliamentary rules should facilitate accountability rather than suppress it.
The Minority Caucus walked out of Parliament on Wednesday, accusing First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor of using parliamentary rules to frustrate ministerial oversight. The walkout occurred after Ahiafor disallowed Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin's follow-up question about SIM card re-registration procurement procedures, which Ahiafor ruled deviated from the original question.
Ghana's Council of State has advised against passage of a Constitution amendment bill that would allow dual citizens to hold sensitive public offices including Parliament, ambassadorships, and military positions currently restricted to those without dual allegiance. President John Mahama had publicly backed the reforms, saying they reflect modern realities and would enable diaspora Ghanaians to participate in politics.
At the 12th World Cooperation Industries Forum, Ghana's First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor urged Ghanaian businesses to expand into international markets and leverage growing economic ties with Turkey to drive trade and investment, focusing on technology transfer, manufacturing, and job creation.
Bernard Ahiafor, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Akatsi South, commended fathers for their role in nurturing families and contributing to national development, urging them to serve as role models and calling on communities to support them.
The Speaker of the Algerian Parliament arrived in Accra for a 3-day high-level consultative conference (June 17–19, 2026) on implementation of a UN Resolution addressing the trafficking of enslaved Africans. The conference will gather parliamentary leaders, diplomats, and civil society to develop a coordinated global framework for the Resolution's implementation across member states.
The Speaker of the Algerian Parliament, Azouz Nasri, has arrived in Accra to participate in a three-day high-level international conference from 17 to 19 June 2026 aimed at implementing a landmark UN resolution on the trafficking of enslaved Africans. The gathering will bring together political leaders, policymakers, academics and civil society organisations to deliberate on strategies for strengthening global advocacy efforts and developing a coordinated framework to address the historical legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.
Speaker Bagbin, through First Deputy Speaker Ahiafor, stated that Parliament must create meaningful opportunities for young people and underrepresented groups to engage in democratic processes and contribute to national development. The statement was made at the launch of the "Parliament & You" Educational Series, aimed at promoting civic education among children and helping them understand Parliament and governance.
Ghana's Majority Leader has called on young people to defend Parliament and other democratic institutions, noting that Parliament is uniquely where different political parties can coexist under the constitution, unlike the Executive which is controlled by a single party. He endorsed a new educational series, "Parliament and You," a partnership between Parliament and Junior Graphic to teach approximately 50,000 children aged 10–17 about parliamentary functions and democratic governance.
In Parliament, Tolon MP Habib Iddrisu teased Minister Samuel Nartey George about a private 'Best Ministers' Award Scheme' that charged state officials GH¢25,000 to GH¢50,000 for trophies. President John Mahama has banned public officials from participating in such award ceremonies.
Parliament's Speaker claimed the House did not suspend Order 172(1) of the Standing Orders before passing the anti-LGBTQI+ bill on Friday, 29 May 2026, but the record of proceedings shows the Majority Chief Whip moved a motion to suspend that very order before proceeding with third reading.
The Director of Communications for the Movement for Change has called for the removal of Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin over his decision to seek reconsideration of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill following its passage by Parliament on May 29. Mr Solomon Owusu argued that the Speaker's actions undermined Parliament's authority and that the First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor had exercised the same constitutional authority when presiding over the bill's consideration.
Joy Online explains that Speaker Alban Bagbin can only appeal—not order—MPs to revisit the anti-LGBTQI bill, since he is not a voting member. His request rests on claims of procedural breach (violations of Orders 170, 171, 172) and lack of demonstrable consensus on the floor.
Ghana's Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, which seeks to criminalise LGBTQ-related activities, though amendments exempt legal practitioners, media professionals, and health workers providing services to LGBTQ persons. The bill awaits constitutional processes and presidential assent before taking effect.
The first edition of the 2026 Democracy Youth Cup began with multiple matches featuring teams including Attram De Visser Soccer Academy, which won 2-1 and 3-2, and Soccer Engineers, who defeated KITU Stars 4-0. The four-day tournament running from May 12 to May 15 aims to provide a platform for young footballers to showcase talents in front of scouts and coaches.
Ghana's parliament marked the 2nd edition of May Day 2026 to celebrate workers' support and contributions to institutional and national development. The 1st Deputy Speaker urged renewed commitment to local languages and traditional clothing as integral parts of daily life and education.
Bernard Ahiafor, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, has been appointed to serve on the Resolution Drafting Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union alongside the Speaker of South Africa's National Assembly. The appointment received unanimous endorsement from the African Geopolitical Group of the IPU following nomination by Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin at the 152nd Assembly in Istanbul.