Stories and facts
Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, born on September 24, 1957, is a distinguished Ghanaian politician and the current Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana.
He previously served as Ghana's Minister for Health from January 2012 to February 2013. Bagbin was a longstanding Member of Parliament for the Nadowli West constituency in the Upper West Region, representing the area in the 1st through 7th parliaments of the Fourth Republic.
In 2019, he contested for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate slot but lost to former President John Dramani Mahama. On January 7, 2021, Bagbin was elected as the Speaker of the 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic after a highly contested election.
Born to peasant farmers Sansunni Bagbin and Margaret B. Bagbin in Sombo, Upper West Region, Bagbin is the fourth of nine children and a member of the Dagaaba ethnic group.
He attended Wa Secondary School and Tamale Secondary School before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and English at the University of Ghana in 1980.
He proceeded to the Ghana School of Law, where he was called to the bar in 1982. Later, he obtained an Executive Master’s in Governance and Leadership from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
Bagbin's career began at the Bureau of Statistics and Statistical Service, where he worked as acting Secretary to the Statistical Service Board from 1980 to 1982.
He then served as Personnel Manager for the State Hotels Corporation, which included Ambassador and Continental Hotels, before moving to Libya to teach English at Suk Juma Secondary School in Tripoli.
Upon returning to Ghana in 1986, Bagbin joined Akyem Chambers, a legal firm, where he eventually became a partner. Over the years, he also served as an external solicitor for entities such as the Nii Ngleshie royal family of James Town and the Credit Unions Association of Ghana.
Currently, he is a partner at Law Trust Company, a legal firm specializing in consultancy and notary services.
In politics, Bagbin has been a stalwart member of the NDC since his election to Parliament in 1992, representing the Nadowli West Constituency.
He was Majority Leader in Parliament in 2009 and was appointed Minister for Water Resources, Works, and Housing during a cabinet reshuffle in 2010 under President Mills.
He later served as Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 2017 to 2021 before becoming Speaker. Over the years, Bagbin also expressed aspirations for the presidency, announcing his intentions to run in 2008, although he did not participate in the primaries.
Bagbin's tenure in Parliament has been marked by electoral successes, including victories in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 elections, during which he secured significant support from his constituents. He transitioned to represent the newly created Nadowli West constituency in 2004 after the split of Nadowli North.
As Speaker of Parliament, Bagbin has played a pivotal role in Ghana’s legislative processes, including a controversial decision in October 2024 to declare vacant the seats of Members of Parliament who switched parties.
This decision temporarily gave the opposition NDC a majority but was later overturned by the Supreme Court of Ghana. The court clarified that MPs could only vacate their seats during the current term of Parliament, not in a future one.
Bagbin is married to Alice Adjua Yornas Bagbin, a Programme Officer with UNICEF Ghana, and is a devout Roman Catholic.
His journey from humble beginnings in Sombo to becoming a key figure in Ghana’s political landscape underscores his dedication to public service and governance.
Explore the life of Alban Bagbin below.
