Majority Leader cites Minority Leader for contempt of Parliament

3d ago | Source: Graphic Online

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has cited the Minority Leader for contempt of Parliament and urged the Speaker 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 in Port Harcourt.

Contrary to the resolution passed, Mr Afenyo-Markin went to ECOWAS Parliament in Port Harcourt, where he attended a session, a move he 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 at Tuesday’s proceedings, Mr Ayariga, who is the Leader of Government Business in the House said by defying Parliament's resolution in removing him from the delegation to the ECOWAS parliament, and actually going to Port Harcourt and attending the session Afenyo-Markin has clearly, affronted the dignity and engaged in an act that constitutes an affront to the authority of Parliament and it was therefore time that Afenyo-Markin be put in his proper place.

Resolution

Citing Order 31 (o), which specifically dealt with acts or conduct that constituted contempt of Parliament or breach of parliamentary privilege, the Majority Leader said somewhere on July 22, 2025, 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 Leader said the resolution of Parliament was communicated to the ECOWAS Parliament by the Speaker himself.

Appearance

He told the House that the ECOWAS Parliament convened to sit in Port Harcourt in Nigeria from September 25 to 28, 2025.

Mr Ayariga said Ghana’s Parliamentary delegation, as constituted by the House’s resolution, went to Port Harcourt and they met the 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 members.

“They refused to swear in Ghana's delegation and said that they will not allow Ghana's delegation to be sworn in because this Parliament had removed the name of Honorable 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”.

He said it was based on his threat that the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament caved in and swore in four members of Ghana’s delegation,

The Leader of Government Business said the Minority Leader was at that session of the ECOWAS Parliament where he attended the session in “clear defiance of a resolution of this Parliament”.

Speaker's decision on Wednesday

Responding, the Speaker said the rules concerning contempt were very clear.

He, however, said he had to return to the House as to what his view on the matter was, “before I decide whether to refer it to the committee or not to refer to the committee”.

“So I have that decision to make and I need to consider it before I do so. So I will take the whole of today to consider the complaints and tomorrow I will then communicate my decision to the House,” he said.