Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has shared what he thinks the Leader of the Minority, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, should have done rather than make the preliminary comments that dragged the vetting of the Chief Justice nominee.
During the vetting of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie for the Chief Justice’s role on Monday, November 10, 2025, the Minority Leader sought to describe Baffoe-Bonnie as a “disputed nominee”, a description which was outrightly objected to by the Majority Leader, who demanded a retraction and apology from Afenyo-Markin.
During his contribution, Mahama Ayariga said the Minority Leader could have waited for the proceedings to take place and asked for the nominee’s opinion on the concerns he was raising, rather than distracting the entire process for over four hours.
“So, all the questions about what happened, if you had waited and we started proceedings and you throw a question to the nominee to get his views on the matter, I may not object it. But you can’t just be allowed to run down everybody and get up and go because you’re Afenyo-Markin. Why? It would not be allowed,” he stated firmly.
Mahama Ayariga continued that although the practice of making preliminary comments before the commencement of a vetting by the Committee commences, it is not a provision in the House’s rules, making it not a compulsory act at all cost.
Afenyo-Markin’s description of Baffoe-Bonnie as “disputed nominee” was hinged on the fact that there were pending matters in court regarding his nomination. But Ayariga argued that pending matters in court are not discussed in the House.
“The rules are clear, what you can’t do in the chamber, you cannot do in committees. So the rules are clear on pending matters, so you can’t come here and comment on pending matters in a way that will prejudice the interest of the parties. So we stay away from running commentaries on pending matters, even though we refer to them,” Ayariga stated.
He expressed shock over the conduct of the legislator, having been in Parliament for some years and serving in various leadership roles, and still bringing up matters that are forbidden to be discussed in the House.
“You’re a senior lawyer, you know. You’ve been in this House, you’ve been the Majority Leader, you’ve been a Minority Leader, you’ve lived through all the rulings in these matters, pending matters we should stay away from them. The conduct of judges we should stay away from them.
“You have so far not impugned the process of nominating the nominee and submitting the nomination to this House and the process of referral by the Speaker of the nominee to this Committee for the Committee to do its work. Those are the legitimate matters that you can raise and you haven’t raised them,” the Bawku Central lawmaker, who is also the Majority Leader, explained further.
“This whole issue about you making a preliminary statement, show me a rule that says you have the right to make a preliminary statement. Show me in our standing orders, anything that says you Afenyo-Markin, have a right to make preliminary statement. You don’t,” he added.
