Newly appointed Majority Leader and Builsa North MP James Agalga has stated that he will not be bullied by Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin in Parliament.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on August 7, 2026, Agalga said being new to the leadership of the Majority does not make him someone who can be intimidated.
“I’ve heard people say, ‘Oh, well, maybe I’m new to leadership, and I could be bullied.’. If you’ve known me for some time, you would agree that I am not the type who can be bullied. Far from that,” he said.
Agalga, however, said he respects Afenyo-Markin as a colleague lawyer and will extend the necessary courtesies to him as Minority Leader.
He said both of them entered Parliament at the same time and therefore neither has seniority over the other based on their years in the House.
“Afenyo-Markin is a colleague lawyer. We are members of the bar. We both arrived in parliament at the same time, and so he doesn’t enjoy seniority over me so far as our age in parliament is concerned. But of course, we would extend all the courtesies to the minority leadership,” he stated.
The Majority Leader also warned the Minority against attempts to disrupt parliamentary business, stressing that both sides must operate within the Standing Orders.
“The message I have for the minority is that we would play according to the rules. I mean, the standing orders are very clear, and so if we play according to what the standing orders allow us to do, I am sure we would have a very interesting parliament,” he cautioned.
Asked if the people should expect any form of ‘showdowns’ in the house, Agalga said he does not expect his relationship with Afenyo-Markin to lead to a major confrontation, but he is prepared to face one if it becomes necessary.
“I don’t think it would get to the point where we’d have to have a showdown, but if we have to have a showdown, why not? But as the majority, our interest is to ensure that government business is not interrupted,” he indicated.
He added that respecting each other’s roles would help maintain peace in the House.
“Afenyo-Markin is a nice gentleman, and so would accord him all the courtesies and would expect him to do likewise. And if we do that, I’m sure there’ll be peace and tranquility in the house,” he concluded.
