Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has petitioned the Speaker to refer Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin to the Privileges Committee for ignoring Parliament’s decision removing him from the ECOWAS delegation.
It will be recalled that in July 2025, Parliament adopted the composition of Ghana’s delegation to the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The Majority Leader moved the motion and proposed amendments, including the replacement of the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, with his deputy, Patricia Appiagyei, to meet the 30% female quota specified by ECOWAS.
He also changed Dr Bryan Acheampong as observer and made Millicent Yeboah Amankwah a member of the delegation.
Speaking on the floor of parliament on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Ayariga recounted, “Mr Speaker, I think somewhere on the 22nd of July [2025], this House passed a resolution constituting the delegation of Ghana to the ECOWAS Community Parliament. Mr Speaker, if you recall, we had removed the name of the Minority Leader, Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, Member for Effutu, from the list of Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Community Parliament,” he said.
“Mr Speaker, this resolution of this Parliament was communicated to the ECOWAS Parliament by, I believe, your good self. The ECOWAS Community Parliament convened to sit in Port Harcourt in the River State of Nigeria from the 25th to the 28th of September 2025,” he said.
Ayariga continued, “Our Parliament’s delegation, as constituted by our resolution, went to Port Harcourt and found the Honorable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin sitting there, refusing to give way as directed by this Parliament.”
The Majority leader noted that when it was time for the new delegation to be sworn in, the ECOWAS Parliament initially refused, citing the conduct of Afenyo-Markin as disobedience.
He recounted, “Indeed, whilst our nominated delegation was there and it was time to swear in members, the ECOWAS Parliament refused to swear in Ghana’s delegation. They refused to swear in Ghana’s delegation and said that they will not (sic) …. They caved in and swore in four members of our delegation. Mr Speaker Afenyo-Markin was at that session of the ECOWAS Parliament, attended the session of the ECOWAS Parliament in clear defiance of a resolution of this Parliament”.
He further petitioned the Speaker to refer Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin to the Privileges Committee.
According to Mahama Ayariga, it is time that the Honourable Afenyo-Markin be put in his proper place.”
He added, “The provisions of Order 31 state that any act or omission which affronts the dignity or authority of the Parliament of Ghana, or produces any such effect, constitutes contempt of Parliament and a breach of parliamentary privilege.
“Mr Speaker, by defying this Parliament’s resolution removing him from the ECOWAS Parliament and actually going to Port Harcourt and attending the session, he has clearly affronted the dignity and engaged in an act that constitutes an affront to the authority of this Parliament. And it is time that the Honourable Afenyo-Markin be put in his proper place”.
Mahama Ayariga added that Afenyo-Markin’s action is contempt of parliament and a breach of parliamentary privileges.
Watch the video below:
Majority Leader petitions Speaker to refer Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin to Privileges Committee for ignoring Parliament’s decision removing him from ECOWAS delegation
— The Independent Ghana (TIG) (@tignews_) November 11, 2025
📹: Channel One TV #TIG #TIGNews
Iddrisu Zakari | Adjor | EOCO | pic.twitter.com/KlmZbDkK04
The Majority Leader, Hon. Mahama Ayariga disclosed that the ECOWAS Parliament declined to swear in Ghana’s delegation after Minority Leader Hon. Afenyo-Markin, whom they met there in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, refused to allow the ceremony to proceed because his name had been… pic.twitter.com/Yl1PuSsTFu
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) November 11, 2025