Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei has declined her inclusion in Ghana’s reconstituted delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, describing the move as procedurally irregular, politically damaging, and lacking consultation.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament on Monday, July 22, 2025, she objected to her nomination as a replacement for Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, who is currently serving a valid term as a Deputy Speaker in the ECOWAS Parliament.
“I was neither consulted nor did I give my consent to be considered as a replacement for the Minority Leader,” Appiagyei 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.”
Her comments follow the House’s approval of a reshuffled ECOWAS delegation earlier in the day, which controversially replaced Afenyo-Markin with Appiagyei. The changes also included the appointment of Deputy Majority Leader George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan to succeed Afenyo-Markin as Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Appiagyei, however, argued that Afenyo-Markin’s removal is both unjustified and unlawful. Citing ECOWAS rules, she emphasized that members of the regional parliament serve fixed four-year terms and can only be removed under specific circumstances, such as resignation, appointment to executive office, or disqualification—none of which apply in Afenyo-Markin’s case.
“Any attempt to replace him… violates ECOWAS statutes,” she wrote, adding that the move also goes against internal parliamentary practices and risks being rejected by the ECOWAS Parliament itself.
She further criticised the Majority side’s handling of the issue, accusing them of bypassing established procedures and creating unnecessary political tension.
“This action… was taken in the absence of my good self and the Minority Leader,” she said. “The proposal was made by the Majority Leader without prior consultation.”
While acknowledging the importance of gender representation in regional institutions, Appiagyei warned against using it as a pretext for arbitrary political decisions. “True inclusion must be built on transparent dialogue and not imposed at the expense of established norms,” she said.
She concluded by formally declining the nomination, urging the Speaker and Clerk of Parliament not to communicate her inclusion to the ECOWAS Parliament. She also called for the original Minority Caucus nominees—Afenyo-Markin, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, and Bryan Acheampong—to be maintained.
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