The number of times Afenyo-Markin has faced Parliament's Privileges Committee

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has gained widespread attention in recent times, particularly after he was summoned before the Privileges and Immunities Committee of Parliament over alleged misbehavior and misconduct.

Since assuming the role of Minority Leader, he has been brought before the committee responsible for investigating complaints of contempt of Parliament or breaches of privileges formally referred to it by the House on two occasions.

Minority Leader apologises to interior minister over security recruitment claims

This GhanaWeb article looks back at those two moments when Afenyo-Markin was referred to the committee;

ECOWAS delegation saga

In November 2025, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, referred Afenyo-Markin to the Committee on Privileges and Immunities after he was cited for contempt, following a motion filed by the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga.

Ayariga accused Afenyo-Markin of defying Parliament's orders by attending a sitting of the ECOWAS Parliament, despite a House resolution.

Addressing Parliament on Thursday, November 27, 2025, Bagbin said that the motion filed by Ayariga established a prima facie case against the lawmaker, adding that it could affect Parliament's integrity.

"... I am satisfied that the matter raised prima facie, implicates the dignity and institutional integrity of this house. Pursuant to order 34.1, I, therefore, refer the matter, the complaint lodged by the honorable member for Bawku Central and the Majority Leader, to the Committee on Privileges and Immunities for examination, inquiry, investigation and report to the House," he directed.

The Speaker charged the Privileges Committee to, among other things, determine whether Afenyo-Markin's conduct was in contempt of Parliament under Standing Orders 30 and 31A of the House.

The referral followed Ayariga’s accusation on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, that the Minority Leader had defied Parliament’s orders by attending the ECOWAS session.

Ayariga argued that Afenyo-Markin’s decision to participate after the House passed a resolution removing him from Ghana’s delegation constituted contempt.

Recruitment scandal allegation

The second time Afenyo-Markin was referred to the Committee was over a wild allegation of corruption in recruitment into the security services, implicating a senior government official, that he made.

During the sitting of the House on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the Minister of the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, requested that the Speaker of Parliament refer the Minority Leader to the Privileges Committee to substantiate the allegations he made.

"Mr Speaker, if you recollect, you were in the chair on Thursday when he started this allegation. I took the opportunity on the floor to correct him and show him, and even encourage him, that if he wanted information, he could write and I would furnish him with all the details.

"He decided to take advantage of the State of the Nation Address on Friday, when the whole world was listening to us, to say categorically that the current internal security recruitment is scandalous. There's corruption looming. People will go to prison. He said it on this floor," he fumed.

Muntaka indicated that the Minority Leader's action amounted to contempt of the House and must be investigated.

He added that the Effutu legislator had made a habit of making baseless allegations, but this time around he would be forced by the Majority Caucus to provide evidence.

First Deputy Speaker drops Afenyo-Markin's Privileges Committee referral

It is, however, worth noting that the Minority Leader has since retracted his statement and tendered an apology to the Minister of the Interior.

Likewise, the referral has been withdrawn.

MAG/AE

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