By Elsie Appiah-Osei | Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has been elected Chairman of the 52-member Africa Geopolitical Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
A statement signed by Mr David Sebastian Damoah, Director, Media Relations, Parliament House, and issued to the Ghana News Agency on Monday has said.
It said the Speaker’s unanimous election, which took place on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the ongoing 151st IPU Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, elevated Ghana to a pivotal position in global international relations, parliamentary diplomacy, and leadership.
“The prestigious role also reaffirms Mr Bagbin’s stature as a global parliamentary colossus with enormous respect and influence on international parliamentary affairs and diplomacy,” it said. According to the statement, aside from the Speaker’s chairmanship of IPU, he is the President of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSPAL) and the immediate past Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) International.
It noted that in Mr Bagbin’s new capacity as Chairman of the Africa Group, he will be responsible for coordinating and harmonizing the continent’s common positions on major IPU decisions and policies.
“He will also serve as the primary representative for African parliamentary interests, championing the continent’s priorities on critical issues of governance, peace, security, and sustainable development,” it added.
In his inaugural remarks following his election, the statement quoted Mr Bagbin pledging his unwavering commitment to fostering deeper collaboration and unity among African parliaments.
“He expressed his sincere gratitude to all the members of the delegations from Africa for attending the 150th IPU Conference and singled out the Nigerian delegation for special mention for seconding his nomination,” it stated.
It added that Mr Bagbin applauded the “Senegalese delegation for magnanimously withdrawing their nominee in the spirit of African unity and consensus building,” it said.
The statement noted that Speaker Bagbin outlined his vision of championing the core principles of transparency, consolidation of democratic governance, and the pursuit of sustainable development across the continent through the strengthening of legislative institutions.
The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament takes over from Ms. Angela Thokozile Didiza, the Speaker of the African Assembly, who has left an excellent record of performance.
The Africa Geopolitical Group was established at the beginning of the 1950s as a geopolitical continental branch of the IPU, with the aim of ensuring a fair geographical distribution of the IPU’s-on-IPU’s Executive Sub-committees, and other bodies of the IPU.
The Group also prepares and coordinates positions on key issues on the agenda of IPU General meetings and conferences, reviews vacancies within committees and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and proposes candidates to fill such vacancies.
Source: gna.org.gh