The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has taken legal action against a constituency executive of his own political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), over remarks he says were intended to defame and damage his reputation.
The lawsuit marks a significant moment in the internal politics of the NDC as tensions over party leadership and candidate selections continue to rise.
On April 3, 2025, Mr. Bagbin filed a defamation suit at the High Court in Wa against Frederick Kaningen, the NDC constituency organizer for Nadowli-Kaleo.
The legal action follows a press conference held by Kaningen on March 11, 2025, at the NDC constituency office in Nadowli, where he made scathing remarks about the Speaker’s conduct in local party affairs.
Kaningen accused Bagbin of attempting to “subvert the democratic process” within the party by allegedly maneuvering to have an “unqualified” individual appointed as the District Chief Executive (DCE) without following the NDC’s established vetting procedures.
According to Kaningen, these actions threatened peace and unity within the constituency and undermined the party’s democratic ethos.
The remarks, which received widespread media coverage on platforms such as Joy News, Citi News, and several local radio stations in the Upper West Region, prompted Speaker Bagbin to respond through legal means.
In his statement of claim, the Speaker described the allegations as entirely false, inflammatory, and calculated to tarnish his character and reputation, both politically and professionally.
Mr. Bagbin, a veteran politician and legal luminary with over 40 years of experience, is the founder of the Law Trust firm.
He has served in various leadership roles within Ghana’s Parliament and remains one of the country’s most senior statesmen.
He argues that Kaningen’s comments have caused considerable damage to his standing among constituents, party faithful, and legal colleagues.
“This is not just a personal attack—it’s a reckless attempt to undermine decades of public service and integrity,” Bagbin’s legal representative, Thaddeus Sory of Sory@Law, stated in court documents.
“Unless restrained, the defendant is likely to continue his campaign of defamation.”
Alban Bagbin is seeking a declaration from the court that the statements made by Kaningen are defamatory.
He is also requesting aggravated damages, a permanent injunction preventing Kaningen from repeating the allegations, and a full retraction accompanied by a public apology.
This retraction, according to the writ, should be made during a press conference at the same location where the original remarks were delivered and be published in three separate reports on Joy News and Citi News.
Frederick Kaningen was served with the court summons on April 4 and has eight days to respond. Failure to do so may result in a default judgment being entered against him.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
