Patricia Appiagyei Rejects Move to Replace Afenyo-Markin in ECOWAS Parliament

Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei has firmly rejected her inclusion in Ghana’s reconstituted delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, describing the decision as politically disruptive, procedurally flawed, and executed without her knowledge or consent.

“I was neither consulted nor did I give my consent to be considered as a replacement for the Minority Leader,” Appiagyei declared in a letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament on Monday, July 22, 2025.

“At no point have I expressed any intention to replace my Leader, and I am particularly concerned that this development appears to be a calculated effort to cause division between myself and my Leader.”

Her comments come in the wake of Parliament’s approval of a revised list of representatives to the ECOWAS Parliament—one that controversially ousted Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin and named Appiagyei in his place.

Read Also: Afenyo-Markin Removed from ECOWAS Parliament Delegation

The reshuffle also appointed Deputy Majority Leader George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan to replace Afenyo-Markin as Third Deputy Speaker of the regional legislative body.

Appiagyei, however, insists that Afenyo-Markin’s removal is not only politically inappropriate but also violates ECOWAS statutes.

“Any attempt to replace him… violates ECOWAS statutes,” she wrote, citing the protocol which grants ECOWAS MPs a fixed four-year term, only terminable under conditions such as resignation, appointment to an executive office, or disqualification—none of which apply to Afenyo-Markin.

She further criticized the lack of consultation in the decision-making process, stating, “This action… was taken in the absence of my good self and the Minority Leader. The proposal was made by the Majority Leader without prior consultation.”

The reconstitution, spearheaded by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, was reportedly justified on the grounds of parliamentary tradition, which discourages caucus leaders from serving on international delegations like ECOWAS and the Pan-African Parliament.

Source: Liberalprint.com