Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, says New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has expressed full confidence in his leadership of the NPP Minority Caucus.
According to Afenyo-Markin, Dr Bawumia made the assurance when the two held a meeting at his private residence in Accra on Monday, August 24, 2026, ahead of Parliament’s reconvening for an emergency sitting convened by Speaker Alban Bagbin.
Afenyo-Markin said the meeting focused on party matters as well as issues on the agenda of the Minority ahead of the emergency sitting.
He said Dr Bawumia urged the Minority to remain focused on the reported US$1.7 billion loss associated with the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP), which the Minority has linked to GoldBod’s operations.
“Dr Bawumia expressed his full confidence in my leadership of the Minority,” Afenyo-Markin said in a statement.
He said the former Vice President also cautioned him against being distracted by attempts to divert public attention from the reported loss, which the Minority estimates at about GH¢22 billion and says represents approximately 1.5% of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Afenyo-Markin said Dr Bawumia further called on the Caucus to use all legitimate procedures available to Parliament to ensure the government is held accountable over the reported loss.
The Minority Leader said he assured Dr Bawumia that the issue remained firmly on the Minority’s agenda as Parliament resumed and that the Caucus would pursue it in the interest of the Ghanaian people.
The development comes amid an increasingly heated public dispute between Afenyo-Markin and GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi over the reported losses under the DGPP.
The Minority has argued, based on its interpretation of the International Monetary Fund’s August 2026 report, that the programme recorded losses of more than US$1.7 billion in 2025.
Gyamfi, however, has rejected the suggestion that GoldBod itself incurred the US$1.7 billion loss. He has argued that the IMF report does not attribute the loss to GoldBod and has challenged Afenyo-Markin to identify where in the report GoldBod was accused of making such a loss.
The disagreement has escalated, with Gyamfi accusing Afenyo-Markin of conducting a smear campaign against him and GoldBod and alleging that the Minority Leader’s actions amounted to an attempt to extort him.
Afenyo-Markin has rejected the allegations and maintained that the Minority’s concerns are centred on accountability over public funds and the financial implications of the gold purchase programme.
The controversy has also extended to the NPP Parliamentary Caucus, following reports that some Minority MPs wanted Afenyo-Markin to address the extortion allegations.
Afenyo-Markin has denied that he was summoned by the Caucus over the allegations, explaining that he convened a meeting with the MPs himself.
Despite the controversy, Afenyo-Markin said the meeting with Dr Bawumia had reinforced his determination to pursue the issue.
“I assured him that this is a national task the Minority intends to prosecute to the fullest extent of our ability, with the very best of intentions, and minded always by the interests of the Ghanaian people,” he said.
He added that the reported loss under the watch of GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana would remain firmly on the Minority’s agenda as Parliament reconvened.
“We remain resolute in this commitment, and we will not relent until the Ghanaian people receive the answers they deserve,” Afenyo-Markin said.