Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has taken a swipe at the Minority, accusing them of failing to fully utilize their numerical strength in legislative proceedings.

In a sharp critique on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, Mahama Ayariga, speaking on the floor of Parliament, implied that despite the Minority having 88 Members of Parliament (MPs), the opposition party was not maximizing its representation in parliamentary affairs.

The Majority Leader made these remarks while refusing an assertion by Minority Leader Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin that he is not able to marshal his members to sittings of the House.

"Mr. Speaker, it is factually inaccurate for the Minority Leader to say that, in the approval of the ministerial nominees, this House did not have a quorum but for the participation of Minority members. Mr. Speaker, is the Minority Leader [Afenyo-Markin] suggesting that Minority members are not part of this House or that they have no obligation to constitute a quorum?," he questioned.

"Mr. Speaker, if I start citing members of the Minority who are absent from the Chamber, we will not finish… Look at them at all times, they don’t even have one-fourth of their numbers present. Mr. Speaker, as we speak, they are not even up to 18," Ayariga remarked.

He continued, "Ghanaians gave them 88 seats in the elections, but they are using only 18. In the next election, we will reduce it further," Mahama Ayariga said as his remarks was met with cheers from the Majority side of the House.

The Majority Leader’s remarks highlight concerns over the Minority’s level of participation in key decision-making processes in Parliament, fuelling public perceptions of inefficiency and a lack of commitment from the opposition in fulfilling their parliamentary duties effectively.

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