Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Minority Leader — This is why Ayariga is citing Afenyo-Markin for contempt of Parliament

This is why Ayariga is citing Afenyo-Markin for contempt of Parliament

Nana Konadu Agyeman Politics Nov - 12 - 2025 , 06:23 4 minutes read

The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, has cited the Minority Leader for contempt of Parliament, and urged the Speaker of Parliament to refer him to the Privileges Committee to face possible appropriate sanctions, if found guilty, for defying a resolution passed by the House.

He said Alexander Afenyo-Markin clearly defied a resolution passed by Parliament to remove his name as a member of Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament meeting in Port Harcourt.

Contrary to the resolution passed, Mr Afenyo-Markin attended a session of the ECOWAS Parliament, a move the Majority Leader described as constituting contempt of Parliament and a breach of parliamentary privileges.

“That is why Mr Speaker, I have cited the provisions of Order 31 (o) which says that any act or omission which affronts the dignity or authority of Parliament of Ghana or produces any such effect constitutes contempt of Parliament and a breach of parliamentary privilege,” he said.

In a formal complaint made to the Speaker during yesterday’s proceedings, Mr Ayariga, who is the Leader of Government Business in the House, said “by defying this Parliament resolution removing him from the delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, and actually going to Port Harcourt and attending the session, he has clearly affronted the dignity of Parliament and engaged in an act that constitutes an affront to the authority of Parliament, and it is time that the Honourable Afenyo-Markin be put in his proper place”.

“Mr Speaker, I therefore, rise pursuant to the relevant orders to make a complaint of contempt of Parliament and a breach of parliamentary privilege, and to urge you, pursuant to the appropriate orders, to refer the Hon. Afenyo-Markin to the Privileges Committee for him to be processed, and if indeed the committee comes to a conclusion that my contention that he indeed went and attended the session in clear defiance of our resolution, and that act constitutes an affront to the authority of this House, then the appropriate sanctions be executed in relation to the Hon. Afenyo-Markin,” he said.

Resolution

Citing Order 31 (0), which specifically deals with acts or conduct that constitute contempt of Parliament or breach of parliamentary privilege, the Majority Leader said somewhere on July 22, this year, the House passed a resolution constituting the delegation of Ghana to the ECOWAS Parliament.

He recalled that the House had removed the name of the Minority Leader from the list of Ghana's delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament.

The Majority Leader said the resolution of Parliament was communicated to the ECOWAS Parliament by the Speaker himself.

Mr Ayariga told the House that the ECOWAS Parliament convened to sit in Port Harcourt in Nigeria from September 25 to 28, this year.

He said Ghana’s delegation, as constituted by the House’s resolution, went to Port Harcourt and they met Mr Afenyo-Makin “sitting there and refusing to give way as directed by this Parliament”.

“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. They will not allow Ghana's delegation to be sworn in because this Parliament had removed the name of Hon. Afenyo-Markin,” he said.

Intervening, Mr Ayariga said he threatened the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament that “if my delegation returned to Ghana without being sworn in, she will receive a resolution of the Parliament of Ghana directing Ghana to withdraw from ECOWAS itself”.

It was based on his insistence that the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament caved in and swore in the four members of Ghana’s delegation.

The Leader of Government Business said the Minority Leader attended the session in “clear defiance of a resolution of this Parliament”.