The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called for the immediate resignation of the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, and the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, following what it describes as a “failed and embarrassing” attempt to abolish the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
In a statement dated December 12, 2025, the Minority accused the two leaders of acting in direct contradiction to President John Dramani Mahama’s stated policy on the OSP, after sponsoring a private member’s bill to repeal the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
“Their attempt to dismantle an institution the President was simultaneously praising represents either spectacular incompetence or deliberate insubordination — possibly both,” the Minority said.
According to the statement, Ayariga, the MP for Bawku Central, and Mr Dafeamekpor, the MP for South Dayi, sponsored the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Repeal) Bill, 2025 on December 8, seeking to abolish the OSP and transfer its functions to the Attorney-General’s Department.
However, just two days later, President Mahama publicly described the OSP as “a vital cog in the fight against corruption,” urging it to do more to boost public confidence and tackle corruption frontally. On December 11, the Presidency announced that the bill had been withdrawn at the President’s request.
The Minority described the withdrawal as a “devastating public rebuke” that exposed deep cracks between the President and his parliamentary leadership.
Beyond the policy contradiction, the Minority raised concerns about the timing of the bill, linking it to the recent arrest of Martin Kpebu, a known critic of the OSP and an individual the group described as an NDC loyalist.
“The timing is damning,” the statement said, questioning whether the arrest of a politically connected individual triggered “a coordinated, multi-pronged assault on an independent anti-corruption institution.”
The statement further noted that the legislative move coincided with a Supreme Court challenge to Act 959, announced by Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem-Sai on social media. According to the post, a citizen, Noah E. Tetteh, is seeking to strike down provisions of the Act that grant prosecutorial independence to the OSP.
The Minority concluded that the actions of the Majority Leader and Chief Whip amount to a fundamental breach of trust, arguing that their positions as the President’s principal parliamentary lieutenants demand higher standards of judgment and discipline.
“The Presidential intervention confirms this initiative was unauthorised, ill-conceived, and contradicted government policy,” the statement said, adding that the episode has damaged Ghana’s anti-corruption credibility and undermined prosecutorial independence.
The Minority insists that the only appropriate response is for both leaders to step aside in the interest of accountability and to restore public confidence in Parliament and Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture.
