Appiagyei, who was nominated as a replacement for Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, raised concerns about the process and its implications for unity within the Minority Caucus.

In a memorandum submitted to the Speaker of Parliament on July 22, 2025, the Asokwa MP stated that she was not consulted prior to her selection.

She described the development as “procedurally inappropriate” and cautioned that such unilateral decisions could fuel internal tensions.

“There was an understanding by leadership that the Minority Leader would be on the ECOWAS Parliament delegation, as was communicated to the Committee of Selection.

“It is therefore deeply troubling that a contrary nomination was advanced on the floor without consultation,” the memo read in part.

She emphasised that the Effutu MP, who was sworn in as a member and Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament last year, retains a valid and ongoing mandate under ECOWAS protocols, which grant members a four-year term.

“A sitting member cannot be removed unless the member voluntarily resigns, is removed from office, appointed to the Executive or as a Judge, or otherwise becomes ineligible,” she noted, adding that none of these conditions applied to the Minority Leader.

While acknowledging efforts to enhance female representation in regional bodies, Madam Appiagyei warned against using gender parity as a cover for politically motivated decisions.

“True inclusion must be built on transparent dialogue and not imposed at the expense of established norms,” she wrote.

She has therefore requested the withdrawal of her name from the resolution and asked that Parliament rescind the decision.

She further urged Speaker Alban Bagbin to maintain the original nominees: Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Asante-Akim Central MP Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, and Abetifi MP Bryan Acheampong.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I reiterate that the resolution that has my name as a nominated member for the delegation to ECOWAS Parliament be stayed. The House should take steps to rescind such a decision since I do not intend to accept the offer made to me by the House.

“By this memo, I am refusing to be part of such a delegation and pray that the Clerk to Parliament does not communicate any such resolution to the ECOWAS Parliament that includes my name,” she added.

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Her demand follows an alleged raid on the residence of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, as well as reports of a similar incident at the home of former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul.

Addressing journalists on Thursday, the Asokwa MP strongly condemned the incidents, insisting that due legal process must be followed in all matters.

“The harassment of former government officials must cease immediately,” she stated.

She warned against the use of security forces for political vendettas, describing it as a dangerous path toward lawlessness.

The Minority Caucus has, therefore, urged the government not only to put an end to the alleged disturbances but also to take legal action against those responsible.

“We demand that the government arrests and prosecutes all those responsible for these actions immediately,” she added.

Meanwhile, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has apologized to Mr. Ofori-Atta following the Tuesday afternoon raid.

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According to her, there were many actors involved, and she finds it difficult to understand why only four MPs were suspended.

“There were many actors in the chaos, so why only the four? Off the top of my head, I saw Asiedu Nketia’s son, Okyere Baafi, Gakpey, among others,” she stated.

The affected MPs are Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor (Majority Chief Whip), Frank Annoh-Dompreh (Minority Chief Whip), Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli (Gushegu MP), and Jerry Ahmed Shaib (Weija-Gbawe MP).

They have been suspended for two weeks, pending investigations into the incident.

In an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, the Asokwa MP acknowledged that the chaos was unfortunate but charged Speaker Bagbin to reflect on his actions.

“We find it hard to accept the suspension because, mostly, if people are first-time offenders, per order 130, the number of suspension days starts from 4, then 8,” she explained.

“So, what informed the Speaker’s decision? We want to understand the issues because he has no authority to suspend the MPs.”

“If the incident had been investigated, we would have had no issues, but there has been nothing like that. There is no privileges committee, and he single-handedly set up a committee without engaging the leadership. So, we would be happy if he reflects or gives us reasons for his action,” she noted.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker added that the incident calls for a lot of review in parliamentary works and procedures.

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Speaking on PM Express on Joy News on Wednesday, January 29, she dismissed speculation that members of the Appointment Committee receive financial inducements to approve nominees.

“I don’t think I have been exposed to any such arrangement,” she stated firmly.

“I think people circulate a lot, and out of that speculation, when people are given a certain level of treatment, maybe because of certain reasons, people might be lenient toward some nominees, and people believe that is why there have been allegations of bribery. But in reality, it is pure speculation.”

Her comments come amid ongoing public discourse regarding transparency in the vetting process.

When asked whether money had ever been paid or if there had been any attempts to bribe members of the committee, Madam Appiagyei dismissed the notion outright, reiterating that she did not know of such incidents.

She recalled a similar controversy during the tenure of former Appointment Committee Chair, Joe Osei Owusu, which was later proven to be unfounded.

“It happened when Honorable Joe Osei Owusu was there, and eventually, those who made the allegation had to come and apologize to the entire Parliament, admitting that they stepped out of line,” she recounted.

“So I see all of this as mere speculation that continues even after apologies have been made.”

When asked if the committee had ever opened itself up for an independent inquiry into such allegations, she noted that in previous instances, investigations had been initiated to clear any doubts.

“You know, the last time it happened, it was our own colleague who made the allegation, and it was opened up for investigation. Mr. Speaker took an interest in that and ensured that it was well investigated,” she explained.

Madam Appiagyei maintained that, as far as she was concerned, the vetting process remains fair and free from bribery, and any claims to the contrary are purely speculative.

She stated the importance of maintaining the integrity of Parliament and ensuring that allegations are substantiated with evidence before being propagated.

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She pointed out that both the Chair and the Ranking Member are new to the committee, leading to inefficiencies and misunderstandings during the vetting process of the President’s ministerial nominees.

“Currently, we are undertaking the vetting of the President’s nominees for the various sectors, and we’ve had a number of issues—not because of partisanship, but because both of the leadership on the committee now are totally new,” she stated in an interview on PM Express on Joy News on Wednesday, January 29.

Appiagyei emphasized that while experience in Parliament is important, exposure to the workings of a specific committee is crucial to ensuring smooth operations.

“The Chair of the committee has never been on the Appointment Committee, and the Ranking Member has never been on the committee. These are some of the issues that need to be addressed,” she explained.

According to her, the Appointment Committee has historically followed established practices that have aided the vetting process, but the new leadership has failed to adhere to these norms.

“There are rules, or I should say, practices, that we follow. The Appointment Committee has had certain practices over the years, which are not being followed now. We have the authority to vary them, but these variations are causing problems,” she added.

Madam Appiagyei also attributed the current controversies surrounding the vetting process to the government’s push to expedite the formation of its cabinet.

“The government made an express indication that it wanted to set up the cabinet within about two weeks, which was almost impossible. But as much as possible, we should try to assist so that government business can take off,” she said.

She revealed that one significant deviation from previous practices has been the hurried nature of the process, including the failure to adequately advertise nominees for public scrutiny.

“Previously, we were meant to advertise the nomination of everyone appointed for no less than two weeks. At one point, I remember the last government even had to advertise for just about a week, or sometimes three days. But now, due to the exigencies of time, we have varied most of these practices. That’s why we’re seeing the controversies and misunderstandings in the meetings,” she stated.

Clarifying her stance on the Chairman, Madam Appiagyei insisted that she was not questioning his competence, but rather highlighting his limited exposure to the committee’s past practices.

“I am not saying the Chair is not experienced, I am saying exposure is key. People serve on various committees, and the practices vary from one committee to another,” she explained.

In response to allegations that Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has been bullying the Chairman of the committee, Appiagyei strongly rejected the characterization.

“I object to that word—bullying. No. It’s just about trying to reach some level of consensus with the Chair. The Chair has his own ways and feels that things must be done differently, and that’s why it comes out like that. But I wouldn’t describe it as bullying,” she defended.

Despite the ongoing tensions within the committee, Madam Appiagyei remains hopeful that these challenges can be resolved through better cooperation and adherence to established practices.

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Patricia Appiagyei expressed concern that the committee’s new leadership has failed to adhere to established norms, leading to misunderstandings and delays.

“Currently, we are undertaking the vetting of the President’s nominees for the various sectors, and we’ve had a number of issues—not because of partisanship, but because both leaders on the committee are entirely new,” she said in an interview on PM Express on Joy News on Wednesday.

“The Chair of the committee has never been on the committee, and the Ranking Member has also never served on it. These are issues we need to iron out.”

Madam Appiagyei noted that previous Appointments Committees followed well-established practices, but these have been disregarded, creating confusion in the vetting process.

“There are rules, or rather, established practices we follow. The Appointments Committee over the years had certain procedures, which are not being followed now.

“Because we are masters of our own rules, we can decide to vary them, but the variations now are causing problems,” she explained.

A key deviation she highlighted was the failure to adhere to the standard period for advertising ministerial nominations.

“A number of things have been hurried, and one typical issue is the fact that previously, we were required to advertise the nomination of every appointee for a period of not less than two weeks,” she revealed.

“At a point in time, I remember the last government even had to advertise for just about a week, in some cases three days. But as it stands now, due to urgent circumstances, we have varied most of these rules. That’s why we see the controversies and misunderstandings breaking out at the meetings.”

Madam Appiagyei stressed that the urgency with which the government seeks to form its cabinet has further complicated the situation.

“The government expressed its intent to set up the cabinet within about two weeks, which was almost impossible. But as much as possible, we should try to assist so that government business can take off,” she said.

Clarifying her stance on the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, the Deputy Minority Leader stated that she was not questioning his competence but rather his exposure to the specific workings of the committee.

“I am not saying the Chair is not experienced; I am referring to exposure. People serve on various committees, and the practices vary from one committee to another,” she explained.

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In a press briefing, the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, called on President John Mahama to take immediate action by directing law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute those involved in the post-election violence and vandalism.

The Minority criticized the establishment of the Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) committee by the President, alleging that its creation has emboldened some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to engage in acts of destruction, including the vandalism of state properties and attacks on state institutions.

Patricia Appiagyei accused the leadership of the NDC of fostering a culture of impunity that has empowered party supporters to target former government appointees.

She described the reported incidents at institutions such as the Tema Development Corporation (TDC), Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), Tema Port, Kotoka International Airport, Koforidua National Service Secretariat, and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as “shameful.”

The Deputy Minority Leader emphasized that the President bears the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, irrespective of their political affiliations.

The Minority is urging swift action to restore order and prevent further violence.

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