Speaker of Parliament reiterates commitment to Democracy Cup

Alban Sumana Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has reiterated his determination to institutionalize the Democracy Cup match following the successful hosting of its first edition.

Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko competed in the inaugural Democracy Cup, organized by the Parliament of Ghana. Kotoko emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Hearts, lifting the maiden trophy at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Mr. Bagbin made these remarks during a meeting with officials from Primeval Media—the organizers of the match—and representatives of Asante Kotoko, to review the historic event, which attracted stakeholders from across Ghanaian football and democratic institutions.

According to Mr. Bagbin, football is unique and has become the passion of the nation, making it an ideal platform to promote the principles of democracy in Ghana.

“Football is the passion of the nation, it is unique. That is why we must ensure that this competition becomes an annual event to help promote Ghana’s growing democracy,” he stated.

“Look at what the United Kingdom has achieved with football. Their league is the biggest and best brand in the world. The UK has leveraged football to promote every aspect of their development. We must also use football to drive the nation forward, promote democracy, and ultimately foster economic development,” Mr. Bagbin noted.

He added, “Ghana has all it takes to succeed in football, and we must not let this slip away but rather tap into its advantages to educate people about the need to embrace democracy.”

The Speaker hinted that the Democracy Cup match would become an annual event to celebrate Ghana’s democracy. He added that the competition would not be limited to Accra but would be rotated across the country.

“We hope to take it to other parts of the country in the future and use the occasion to project our cherished democracy,” he added.

Mr. Lawrence Opare-Otoo, Chief Executive Officer of Primeval Media, expressed his appreciation to the leadership of Parliament for the opportunity. He acknowledged the challenges faced in organizing the event but noted that they were able to successfully pull it off.

Mr. Opare-Otoo emphasized that the Democracy Cup Match must be embraced by everyone and guarded jealously.

The Democracy Cup match was part of the activities marking 30 years of Ghana’s parliamentary democracy. The maiden edition was held on July 17 at the Accra Sports Stadium, featuring Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.