Bagbin elected Chairman of Inter- Parliamentary Union, Africa Group

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has been elected Chairperson of the 52-member Africa Geopolitical Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

His unanimous election, which took place on October 1gth 2025 at the ongoing 151st |PU Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, elevates Ghana to a pivotal position in global international relations, parliamentary diplomacy and leadership.

The prestigious role also reaffirms Rt. Hon. Bagbin’s stature as a global parliamentary colossus with enormous respect and influence on international parliamentary affairs and diplomacy.

Aside his chairmanship of IPU, Speaker Bagbin 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.

In his new capacity as Chairperson of the Africa Group, Rt. Hon. Bagbin is 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.

In his inaugural remarks following his election, Speaker Bagbin pledged 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.

Inspired by his unanimous endorsement by delegates, Rt. Hon. Bagbin applauded the Senegalese delegation for magnanimously withdrawing their nominee in the spirit of African unity and consensus building. He 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 South African National 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 seats on IP’s Executive Committee, sub-committees, and other bodies of the IPU. The Group also prepares and coordinates positions on key issues on the agenda of IPU General Assembly Meetings and conferences, reviews vacancies within committees and groups of Inter-Parliamentary Union, and proposes candidates to fill
such vacancies.