Patricia Appiagyei, the deputy minority leader, has formally rejected her appointment to Ghana’s recently reorganized mission to the ECOWAS Parliament, calling the nomination process politically contentious and faulty in procedure.
Madam Appiagyei is upset that she was nominated to replace Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin in the regional body without her knowledge or consent. She calls the move “deeply troubling” and a potential source of division within the Minority Caucus in a memo sent to the Speaker of Parliament on July 22, 2025.
“There was an understanding by leadership that the Minority Leader would be on the ECOWAS Parliament delegation, as was communicated to the Committee of Selection,” she posted
“It is therefore deeply troubling that a contrary nomination was advanced on the floor without consultation.”
Under ECOWAS procedures, which give members a four-year term, Appiagyei emphasized that Afenyo-Markin, who was sworn in last year as both a member and Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, still has a legitimate mandate.
She said that none of these requirements apply to the Minority Leader.
“A sitting member cannot be removed unless the member voluntarily resigns, is removed from office, is appointed to the Executive or as a judge, or otherwise becomes ineligible,” she said.
“True inclusion must be built on transparent dialogue and not imposed at the expense of established norms,” she wrote.
“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.”
“The House should take steps to rescind such a decision since I do not intend to accept the offer made to me by the House, and by this memo, I am refusing to be part of such a delegation. and pray that the Clerk to Parliament does not communicate any such resolution to the ECOWAS Parliament that includes my name,” she added.
In closing, she urged Parliament to remove her name from the motion and support the original delegation, which consists of Bryan Acheampong, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, and Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
Source: newsthemegh.com