New Patriotic Party flagbearer for the 2028 presidential election, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has reaffirmed his confidence in the leadership of Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo Markin as Parliament prepares to reconvene for an emergency sitting, with the opposition caucus expected to intensify scrutiny of the financial operations of the Ghana Gold Board and the Bank of Ghana.
Mr Afenyo Markin disclosed the development in a Facebook statement on Monday, August 24, following a meeting with the former Vice President at his private residence in Accra. The discussions centred on internal party matters as well as issues expected to dominate parliamentary proceedings when the House resumes its emergency sitting.
According to the Minority Leader, Dr Bawumia expressed his full confidence in his stewardship of the New Patriotic Party caucus in Parliament and urged the opposition legislators to remain focused on what the caucus considers to be a reported loss exceeding US$1.7 billion associated with the operations of GoldBod and the central bank under the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
“Dr Bawumia expressed his full confidence in my leadership of the Minority,” Mr Afenyo Markin stated.
He said Dr Bawumia further encouraged the Minority Caucus to resist any attempts to shift public attention away from the financial questions surrounding the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme. The former Vice President, according to Mr Afenyo Markin, urged the caucus to rely on the established procedures and rules of Parliament in its efforts to demand greater accountability from the government.
The Minority Leader quoted Dr Bawumia as calling on the caucus, under his leadership, to use every legitimate parliamentary mechanism available to ensure that the government accounts to the Ghanaian people for the reported financial loss.
“He called on the Minority, under my leadership, to do everything within the rules of the House to ensure the Mahama government is held fully accountable to the people of Ghana for this loss,” Mr Afenyo Markin said.
Mr Afenyo Markin subsequently assured Dr Bawumia that the matter remains a priority for the opposition caucus as Parliament resumes its legislative duties.
The development comes at a time when the Minority has intensified its demands for greater transparency regarding the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme and the financial transactions involving the Bank of Ghana and GoldBod. The controversy has generated significant political debate, with opposition legislators seeking further clarification over the reported US$1.7 billion loss and the circumstances that led to the financial exposure.
The disagreement has also triggered a separate public confrontation between Mr Afenyo Markin and GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi, following accusations and counter accusations over the programme and its financial implications.
Mr Gyamfi has rejected claims that the reported loss should be attributed to GoldBod, arguing that the financial outcome must be understood within the broader framework of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme and the role played by the central bank.
Mr Afenyo Markin, however, has maintained that Parliament has a constitutional responsibility to examine the circumstances surrounding the reported loss and establish how public resources were managed.
The Minority Leader has previously indicated that the caucus wants Parliament to conduct a detailed examination of the programme, including the transactions undertaken, the parties involved, the pricing arrangements and the financial consequences for the state.
With the House now preparing for an emergency sitting, the issue is expected to remain prominent on the parliamentary agenda as the Minority seeks to use the proceedings to demand answers from the government.
Dr Bawumia’s reported endorsement of Mr Afenyo Markin also comes against the backdrop of preparations within the NPP for the 2028 general election, with the former Vice President having secured the party’s presidential nomination and begun positioning the opposition party for the next national electoral contest.
The latest meeting therefore combines an internal party dimension with an increasingly contentious parliamentary dispute, as the NPP leadership seeks to maintain cohesion within its parliamentary caucus while sustaining pressure on the government over the financial management of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
For Mr Afenyo Markin, the explicit expression of confidence from Dr Bawumia provides further political backing as he leads the Minority into the emergency sitting, where the caucus intends to pursue accountability over the GoldBod and Bank of Ghana transactions and keep the issue at the centre of parliamentary scrutiny.
