Parliament has approved a shake-up of its delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, replacing Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin with Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei, in a move that has sparked internal dissent and raised questions about procedural transparency.
Afenyo-Markin, who also served as the Third Deputy Speaker of the West African regional legislative body, is expected to be succeeded in that role by Deputy Majority Leader George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, who currently heads Ghana’s delegation to ECOWAS.
The reconstitution has drawn criticism from some lawmakers, including Bimbilla MP Dominic Nitiwul, who accused the Majority Caucus of bypassing due consultation with the Minority. “The leadership should not be moving motions and asking the House to make decisions that they should be discussing with us,” Nitiwul said during floor debate. “Having a majority does not give license to override the principles of representation.”
In defense of the decision, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga cited parliamentary convention, noting that deputy leaders traditionally fill ECOWAS roles. “This follows precedent. We are simply aligning the delegation with current leadership strstructures, Mr.Ayariga said.
The move is seen as both a symbolic and strategic recalibration of Ghana’s representation in the regional parliament at a time when ECOWAS faces significant political challenges, including democratic backsliding and security instability in parts of West Africa.
