Afenyo-Markin denies calling Nana Yaa Jantuah ‘nobody’, says NDC distorted Jubilee House remarks

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has rejected accusations that he described presidential staffer Nana Yaa Akyenpim Jantuah as a “nobody”, arguing that his comments during the New Patriotic Party’s petition presentation at the Jubilee House have been taken out of context and politically amplified by the governing National Democratic Congress.

The dispute, which has become one of the most discussed episodes arising from the NPP’s recent demonstration, has shifted attention from the substantive concerns raised by the opposition to a wider argument over political rhetoric, respect and the increasingly combative nature of Ghana’s public discourse.

Mr Afenyo-Markin said his remarks were directed not at Ms Jantuah’s personal standing or qualifications, but at the Presidency’s decision to designate her alone to receive the NPP’s petition.

“My friends in the NDC, they can do their mischief and get people to believe in their mischief,” he said.

Speaking on Metro TV, the Effutu MP insisted that the wording he used during the exchange demonstrated that he had no intention of personally demeaning the presidential staffer.

“I wasn’t saying that she does not qualify. I said ‘to nominate only you’ and I underscored it by saying that with great deference, great respect,” Mr Afenyo-Markin explained.

His clarification follows days of controversy after Ms Jantuah publicly expressed anger over what she understood to be an implication that she was a “nobody” when she received the opposition party’s petition.

“I’m so mortified that you could stand there and look in the face of a woman and tell that woman she is nobody. I just cannot comprehend what happened,” Ms Jantuah said during an appearance on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen.

Ms Jantuah has argued that the issue goes beyond personal offence because she was acting as a representative of the Presidency when the petition was presented. She has also indicated that she intends to petition Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin over the Minority Leader’s remarks.

The controversy illustrates how quickly political communication in Ghana can migrate from the substance of an event to disputes over language and interpretation. For the NPP, the demonstration was intended to focus public attention on its concerns about governance and democratic institutions. Yet the exchange involving Ms Jantuah has increasingly competed with those issues for media attention.

Mr Afenyo-Markin appears keenly aware of that political dynamic.

“I am not perfect, but I am also equally aware of my environment. I don’t go out to be attacking or disrespecting people,” he said.

The Minority Leader has therefore sought to separate two questions that have become intertwined: whether his choice of words was appropriate and whether he intended to disparage Ms Jantuah personally.

That distinction could prove central to the political debate. Political remarks are often judged not only by the speaker’s stated intention but also by how they are reasonably understood by their audience. Ms Jantuah maintains that the exchange was humiliating, particularly because it occurred publicly and while she was performing an official assignment.

Mr Afenyo-Markin, however, argues that the controversy is being deliberately sustained to weaken the political impact of the NPP’s demonstration.

“I think that they had their own spinning machinery, they wanted to spin something to take away the shine from the day,” he said.

He pointed instead to what he described as a peaceful demonstration with a substantial turnout and clearly articulated grievances.

“That a peaceful demonstration, issues well articulated, massive turnout…” he said, identifying what he believed should have remained the central story emerging from the protest.

The NDC has nevertheless pushed back strongly against his position. Some party figures have characterised the original remarks as disrespectful and demanded an apology. Deputy NDC Women’s Organiser Abigail Elorm Mensah, for instance, called for an “immediate and unreserved apology” to Ms Jantuah and Ghanaian women.

The disagreement therefore presents political risks for both sides.

For the NPP, allowing the dispute to dominate the aftermath of its demonstration risks diluting whatever policy and governance messages it sought to place before the public. Political demonstrations depend heavily on controlling the post-event narrative: turnout may establish momentum, but sustained attention to the issues raised ultimately determines whether that momentum translates into political pressure.

For the NDC, meanwhile, focusing heavily on the disputed remark could reinforce the Minority Leader’s argument that the governing party is attempting to divert attention from the substance of the opposition’s grievances. The challenge for the government is therefore to address questions of political decorum without appearing to use the controversy as a substitute for responding to the opposition’s wider claims.

Mr Afenyo-Markin appears determined not to prolong the personal exchange.

“I won’t respond to her,” he said.

“I am not going to respond to their agenda. I am old enough in this game, so I understand this game,” he added.

Whether that draws a line under the controversy is less certain. Ms Jantuah’s threatened petition to Parliament could move the disagreement beyond the media arena and raise questions about the standards expected of parliamentary leaders when interacting with public officials.

More broadly, the episode reflects an increasingly important challenge for Ghana’s political establishment: maintaining vigorous opposition and accountability while preventing personal disputes from consuming debates over institutions, policy and governance.

In that respect, the argument over whether Ms Jantuah was called a “nobody” has become about considerably more than a single word. It is now a contest over context, political messaging and who gets to define the meaning of one of the most contentious moments of the NPP’s demonstration.