Ghana is trading ECOWAS commission presidency for AU post - Minority alleges

The Deputy Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, has accused the government of sacrificing Ghana’s opportunity to assume the Presidency of the ECOWAS Commission.

According to him, the development, which he described as a major setback to the country’s diplomatic interests, was allegedly traded for political considerations linked to the African Union (AU).

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In a statement shared on his Facebook page on March 4, 2026, the Bosome-Freho MP blamed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, alleging that Ghana’s legitimate claim to the ECOWAS Commission presidency for a four-year term was traded for a one-year term position at the African Union (AU).

“My checks at both the African Union and ECOWAS indicate that the Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, sacrificed Ghana’s legitimacy to occupy the four-year term position of the Presidency of the ECOWAS Commission, which could have yielded significant benefits to the country, for a one-year term position of the AU Chairmanship for President Mahama, which was predetermined as far back as 2023,” portions of the statement read.

“The Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs reportedly did so by ceding Ghana’s right to occupy the position of the Presidency of the ECOWAS Commission in exchange for a so-called unanimous endorsement of a resolution by ECOWAS Presidents to present President Mahama as the sole West African candidate for the position of the African Union (AU) Chairperson in 2027,” his statement said.

The lawmaker argued that Ghana did not require any special lobbying to secure the AU Chairperson position.

He claimed that the arrangement was made in 2023 under the former leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, leading to the country’s election to the Bureau of the Assembly of the AU in 2024.

“Available evidence suggests that Ghana did not need any form of deal-cutting or endorsement from ECOWAS Presidents to secure the position of the AU Chairperson for President Mahama in 2027.

“The arrangement to secure the AU Chairperson for Ghana in 2027 was made in 2023 through the smart diplomacy of His Excellency, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which resulted in the election of Ghana onto the Bureau of the Assembly of the AU in 2024,” he explained.

Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, providing further insights into how the AU operates, said it has a rotational system and that Ghana’s ascension to the chairperson position in 2027 had effectively been settled.

“… It is therefore automatic that in 2027, Ghana will move up the Bureau from 1st Vice Chairperson to the substantive Chairperson of the AU. It follows that whoever is President of Ghana by 2027, which in this case is President Mahama—will automatically become Chairperson of the AU. In other words, by virtue of how the Bureau of the AU operates, the status of President Mahama as the next Chairperson of the AU in 2027 was predetermined as far back as 2024,” he stated.

Against this background, he maintained that there was no need for Ghana to relinquish its ECOWAS opportunity.

“Against this backdrop, Ghana did not have to embark on a special campaign or any form of deal-cutting to solicit the support of the Presidents of ECOWAS States to ensure that President Mahama becomes the Chairperson of the AU in 2027,” he stressed.

The MP raised further concerns about the potential implications of the development on the country, including reduced employment opportunities for Ghanaians within ECOWAS, missed benefits from new recruitments, and other related issues.

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“… the actions of the Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs have caused a significant loss for Ghana on the international front. But for the Minister’s lack of understanding of the institutional processes of ECOWAS and the AU, and his grave appetite for political showmanship to please his master, Ghana would have secured both the position of President of the ECOWAS Commission and the Chairperson of the African Union in 2027,” he concluded.

MAG/AE

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