Referral of Afenyo-Markin to Privileges Committee Unconstitutional — Minority

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has condemned the decision by the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, to refer the Minority Leader, Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, to the Privileges and Immunities Committee, describing it as an attempt to intimidate and harass him.

Mr Bagbin, on Thursday, referred Mr Afenyo-Markin for allegedly defying a parliamentary resolution that removed him from Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, following a petition filed by the Majority Leader, Mr Mahama Ayariga. According to the Speaker, the Minority Leader’s conduct constituted contempt of Parliament and undermined the dignity of the House.

However, the Deputy Minority Leader, Mrs Patricia Appiagyei, speaking at a press conference on Friday, argued that the referral violated the 1992 Constitution and the ECOWAS Parliament’s legal framework. She cited Article 18 of Supplementary Act A/SA.1/12/16, which states that a Representative is elected for four years from the date of Parliament’s inauguration, and their mandate ends on the last day of the legislature.

Mrs Appiagyei explained that Article 18.3 clearly defines the grounds for vacating a Representative’s seat — death, written resignation, certified incapacity, resignation due to incompatibility, or removal by the ECOWAS Parliament. She asserted that Mr Afenyo-Markin did not fall under any of these categories, questioning the legitimacy of his removal from Ghana’s delegation.

She further revealed that in July 2025, Parliament replaced Mr Afenyo-Markin with her on Ghana’s ECOWAS delegation. However, she immediately rejected the decision because she was not consulted and formally wrote to Mr Bagbin stating her objections. Despite her written refusal, the Speaker sent a formal letter to ECOWAS on July 25, 2025, including her name and excluding Mr Afenyo-Markin. She followed up on August 4, 2025, demanding immediate rectification, emphasizing that the unilateral action by the Majority Leader violated the Minority’s right to nominate its representatives.

Mrs Appiagyei has called for:

• The immediate withdrawal of the Privileges Committee petition,
• A public apology from Mr Bagbin and Mr Ayariga to ECOWAS and the citizenry, and
• A resolution to restore Mr Afenyo-Markin’s name to Ghana’s delegation.

Additionally, she demanded an end to what she described as a coordinated prosecution of Mr Afenyo-Markin by the Attorney-General and members of the ruling NDC.

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