Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin, to refer Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin to the Privileges Committee for what he describes as a direct act of contempt and defiance against a resolution of the House.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, November 11, Ayariga invoked Orders 30 and 31 of the Standing Orders, provisions that define acts of contempt and breach of parliamentary privilege to justify his call for sanctions.
Parliament on 22 July 2025 passed a resolution reconstituting Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, which removed Afenyo-Markin’s name. This directive, he said, was duly communicated to the ECOWAS Parliament by the Speaker.
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Ayariga told the House that when the ECOWAS Parliament convened in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, from 25 to 28 September 2025, Ghana’s official delegation arrived only to find Afenyo-Markin seated and participating despite the resolution removing him.
“Our delegation went to Port Harcourt and met the Honourable Afenyo-Markin sitting there, refusing to give way as directed by this Parliament,” Ayariga stated.
He noted that the presence of Afenyo-Markin at the session created a diplomatic standoff, leading the ECOWAS Parliament to initially refuse to swear in Ghana’s new delegation.
“The ECOWAS Parliament refused to swear in Ghana’s delegation because this House had removed his name. I had to threaten the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament that if my delegation returned unsworn, Ghana would consider withdrawing from ECOWAS itself,” he recounted.
Four members of the delegation, he said, were sworn in following the threat.
The Majority Leader insisted that Afenyo-Markin’s conduct directly undermined the authority and dignity of Parliament.
Citing Order 31(0), Ayariga emphasized: “Any act or omission which affronts the dignity or authority of Parliament, or tends to bring the name of Parliament into disrepute, constitutes contempt. His actions are a clear affront to the authority of this House.”
Ayariga argued that the Minority Leader’s decision to attend the ECOWAS session amounted to a deliberate challenge to Parliament’s authority:
“By defying this Parliament’s resolution and actually going to Port Harcourt, he has clearly engaged in an act that constitutes contempt. It is time the Honourable Afenyo-Markin is put in his proper place.” He urged Speaker Bagbin to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee for investigation and possible sanctions.
“If the committee concludes that he indeed acted in clear defiance, then the appropriate sanctions must be applied,” Ayariga said.