The Parliament of Ghana is scheduled today, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, to officially reinstate Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin as a member of Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin will take over the slot previously held by Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei, who voluntarily opted to step down from the delegation to clear a path for her party leader to assume the position.

According to the official list published in today's parliamentary Order Paper, Ghana's full delegation comprises eight permanent members and one observer. The team includes:

- George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan (Leader of the Delegation)

- Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah

- Laadi Ayii Ayamba

- Eric Afful

- Dominic Napare

- Alexander Afenyo-Markin

- Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi

- Bryan Acheampong

- Millicent Yeboah Amankwah

Previous Abuja Inauguration Controversy

The decision to reinstate the Minority Leader follows a controversial incident at the inauguration ceremony of the regional body in Abuja, Nigeria, more than two months ago. The ECOWAS Parliament initially refused to swear in the entire eight-member Ghanaian delegation due to a dispute over its composition.

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga previously informed the House that he had to personally step in to resolve the impasse in Abuja to allow the Ghanaian lawmakers to be sworn in. Following his return, Ayariga reported the matter to the plenary and formally petitioned Speaker Alban Bagbin to refer Mr Afenyo-Markin to the Privileges Committee, accusing him of bringing the name of Ghana's Parliament into disrepute.

While the Minority Leader was indeed referred to the committee for investigation, the final report and outcomes of those proceedings have still not been made public.

Resolving Structural Deficiencies

Under Parliament's standing resolution, the country's eight-member delegation to the regional legislative body must explicitly include leadership representation from both sides of the House, specifically the positions of Deputy Majority Leader and Deputy Minority Leader.

Mr Afenyo-Markin had served in the previous ECOWAS Parliament session while holding the rank of Deputy Majority Leader under the leadership of Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

By passing the new motion to replace Madam Appiagyei with Mr Afenyo-Markin, leadership intends to correct the structural issues that triggered the initial friction in Abuja, ensuring the delegation fully aligns with ECOWAS rules moving forward.