Ghana’s Parliament has approved a reshuffle in its delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, replacing Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin with Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei.
Appiagyei’s appointment marks a significant change, as Afenyo-Markin also held the position of Third Deputy Speaker of the regional legislature. His expected replacement in that role is Deputy Majority Leader George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, who currently heads Ghana’s ECOWAS delegation.
The shake-up has sparked disapproval from some lawmakers. Dominic Nitiwul, MP for Bimbilla, accused the Majority Caucus of bypassing consensus and pushing the changes through without Minority input.
He argued that such decisions should be built on consultation, not imposed through numerical strength. “The Majority cannot use its numbers to override Minority views on representation,” Nitiwul insisted.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga defended the reconstitution, pointing out that it is consistent with parliamentary practice to assign ECOWAS roles to deputy leaders within the House.
The changes come amid increasing scrutiny of leadership transitions and power-sharing within Ghana’s parliamentary representation on regional bodies.