Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei has firmly declined her nomination to Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, following a parliamentary decision to replace Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin with her.
On July 22, Parliament approved a reconstitution of Ghana’s delegation to the regional legislature, removing Afenyo-Markin and naming Appiagyei as his successor.
The reshuffle also implied that Afenyo-Markin would lose his position as Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, with Deputy Majority Leader George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan tapped as his replacement.
However, in a strongly-worded memorandum to Speaker Alban Bagbin, Appiagyei rejected the appointment, stating that she had not been consulted and had not given her consent to be considered.
“I was neither consulted nor did I give my consent to be considered as a replacement for the Minority Leader,” she said.
“It is my hope that this matter is addressed in a manner that preserves the unity and integrity of the House and avoids public embarrassment to the institution of Ghana’s Parliament,” she added.
The reshuffle is in line with a longstanding parliamentary convention that frontbench leaders—such as the Majority and Minority Leaders—do not serve on external legislative bodies like the ECOWAS and Pan-African Parliaments.
Such positions are often reserved for their deputies to prevent conflict of interest and allow principal leaders to concentrate on domestic parliamentary responsibilities.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga moved the amendment in Parliament, citing the need to uphold precedent and promote gender balance within Ghana’s representation.
Speaker Bagbin backed the decision, emphasizing that ECOWAS rules specifically require the Deputy Minority Leader—not the Minority Leader—to sit on the delegation.
Nevertheless, the development sparked tension in the House. Former Defence Minister and Bimbilla MP, Dominic Nitiwul, criticized the decision, accusing the Majority side of failing to engage in adequate consultation with the Minority Caucus.
He further warned that Afenyo-Markin might still appear before the ECOWAS Parliament despite the replacement, referencing previous instances where ousted members continued to serve.
Before his removal, Afenyo-Markin held the role of Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament. His replacement, Ricketts-Hagan, now leads Ghana’s delegation to the sub-regional body.
