Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiah-Agyei has rejected her appointment to Ghana’s reconstituted delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, describing the process as irregular, non-consensual, and politically regrettable.
In a memorandum addressed to the Speaker of Parliament on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, she expressed dismay at the manner in which her name was included in the list adopted by Parliament without her knowledge or consent.
“I respectfully write to express my objection and hereby decline to be included… an action that was taken in the absence of my good self and the Minority Leader,” she stated.
Appiah-Agyei strongly opposed the removal of Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin from the ECOWAS Parliament, noting that he still has an unexpired mandate and was not consulted before the reshuffle.
She emphasized that the Minority Caucus had agreed that Afenyo-Markin would continue his tenure and raised legal concerns about the attempt to replace him.
“The Minority Leader is a duly designated member with an unexpired term, and any attempt to remove him… is both procedurally irregular but also politically regrettable,” she wrote.
She cited ECOWAS protocols requiring voluntary resignation or disqualification before any replacement, adding that none of those conditions had been met.
While acknowledging the goal of improving women’s representation in regional bodies, Appiah-Agyei stressed that such efforts must follow due process.
“True inclusion must be built on transparent dialogue and not imposed at the expense of established norms or the integrity of leadership structures,” she added.
She has formally requested the withdrawal of her name and cautioned Parliament against forwarding her inclusion to ECOWAS. The issue is expected to spark further debate in the House in the coming days.
