Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, has rejected her nomination to Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, describing the move as a deliberate attempt to create discord between her and Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
In a strongly worded memo dated July 22, 2025, and addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Appiagyei expressed deep concern over what she called a lack of consultation and procedural breaches in her appointment, which was announced on the floor of Parliament in her absence and that of the Minority Leader.
“I was neither consulted nor did I give my consent to be considered as a replacement for the Minority Leader, Hon Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin,” she stated. “At no point have I expressed any intention to replace my Leader, and I am particularly concerned that this development appears to be a calculated effort to cause division between myself and my Leader.”
Appiagyei noted that the appointment contradicts earlier understandings within leadership that Afenyo-Markin would retain his seat on the regional delegation — a position communicated to the Committee of Selection. She expressed dismay that the proposal to substitute him was moved by the Majority Leader without consultation.
“It is deeply troubling that a contrary nomination was advanced on the floor without consultation,” she added.
Beyond the internal politics, Appiagyei raised legal objections, referencing ECOWAS protocols which grant a four-year term to members once sworn in. Afenyo-Markin, she noted, was elected to the ECOWAS Parliament just last year and currently serves as a Deputy Speaker — a position that, by law, he is entitled to hold for the full term unless he resigns or becomes ineligible.
“There is therefore no legal or procedural justification for his removal, and any attempt to replace him not only breaches internal parliamentary practice but also violates ECOWAS statutes,” she wrote.
While reaffirming her commitment to gender equity, Appiagyei warned against using gender inclusion as a cover for political maneuvering.
“Using gender parity as a pretext for unilateral and procedurally irregular decisions undermines both the objective and the institutional harmony we seek to preserve,” she stated.
She concluded by formally declining the appointment and urged the House to rescind the decision and withdraw her name from any resolution communicated to the ECOWAS Parliament.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I reiterate that the resolution that has my name as a nominated member for the delegation to ECOWAS Parliament be stayed… I am refusing to be part of such delegation,” Appiagyei asserted.
She appealed to the Speaker to handle the matter in a way that preserves unity within the House and protects the dignity of Ghana’s Parliament on the international stage.
