The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, has formally accused the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, of contempt of Parliament and requested that he be referred to the Privileges Committee for disciplinary action.
Mr. Ayariga claimed that Mr. Afenyo-Markin defied a resolution passed by the House, which had removed his name from Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Despite this directive, the Minority Leader reportedly attended the ECOWAS session, an act the Majority Leader described as a breach of parliamentary privilege.
“Mr Speaker, by defying this Parliament’s resolution removing him from the delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament and actually going to Port Harcourt to attend the session, he has clearly affronted the dignity and authority of this Parliament,” Mr. Ayariga stated.
“It is time the honorable Afenyo-Markin is put in his proper place.”
Citing Order 31(o) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, Mr. Ayariga explained that any act or omission that undermines the authority or dignity of the House constitutes contempt of Parliament.
He recalled that in July 2025, Parliament approved a resolution reconstituting Ghana’s representation at the ECOWAS Parliament and formally removed Mr. Afenyo-Markin from the list. The Speaker of Parliament later communicated this decision to the ECOWAS Parliament.
However, Mr. Ayariga alleged that when Ghana’s new delegation arrived in Port Harcourt for the ECOWAS Parliamentary session held between September 25 and 28, 2025, they found Mr. Afenyo-Markin already seated and refusing to vacate his position.
“Indeed, while our nominated delegation was there and it was time to swear in members, the ECOWAS Parliament refused to swear in Ghana’s delegation because this Parliament had removed the name of Hon. Afenyo-Markin,” the Majority Leader said.
Mr. Ayariga added that he had to intervene by warning the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament that if Ghana’s delegation was not sworn in, he would initiate a resolution for Ghana to withdraw from ECOWAS entirely. Following this threat, he said, four members of Ghana’s delegation were eventually sworn in.
“It was based on that intervention that the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament caved in and allowed the swearing-in to proceed,” he noted.
In his submission, Mr. Ayariga urged Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to consider the matter seriously and refer Mr. Afenyo-Markin to the Privileges Committee for investigation and possible sanctions if found guilty.
The Speaker, in response, acknowledged receipt of the complaint and said he would carefully review the matter before making a determination.
“I will take the whole of today to consider the complaint and tomorrow I will communicate my decision to the House,” the Speaker said.
The outcome of the Speaker’s review is expected to be announced in Parliament tomorrow, determining whether the matter will proceed to the Privileges Committee for further action.
