Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, the Member of Parliament for Bosome Freho and Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has publicly accused Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, of engaging in a significant diplomatic miscalculation. Asafo-Adjei Ayeh alleges that Minister Ablakwa has sacrificed Ghana’s strategic interests and undermined its standing within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by relinquishing the country’s opportunity to secure the Presidency of the ECOWAS Commission.

According to the MP’s press statements, Minister Ablakwa “ceded Ghana’s right to occupy the position of the Presidency of the ECOWAS Commission” in exchange for what he termed a “so-called unanimous endorsement” from West African leaders. This endorsement was purportedly to back President John Mahama as the sole candidate for the African Union (AU) Chairmanship in 2027. Asafo-Adjei Ayeh specifically claimed that the Minister “sacrificed Ghana’s legitimacy to occupy the four-year term position of the Presidency of the ECOWAS Commission” in pursuit of a one-year AU Chairmanship.

However, Asafo-Adjei Ayeh strongly argued that this alleged deal-cutting was entirely unnecessary. He insisted that Ghana’s path to the AU Chairmanship had already been predetermined and secured through its established position within the AU Bureau. He asserted that “Ghana did not need any form of deal-cutting or endorsement from ECOWAS Presidents to secure the position,” as the arrangement had already been set in motion under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration.

Elaborating on his point, Asafo-Adjei Ayeh explained the AU’s rotational system. He stated that Ghana’s election onto the Bureau of the Assembly of the AU in 2024 automatically placed it as 3rd Vice Chairperson. Following this, Ghana was slated to progress to 2nd Vice Chairperson in 2025 and subsequently to 1st Vice Chairperson at the February 2026 Summit. Consequently, under this automatic rotational system, Ghana would naturally move up from 1st Vice Chairperson to the substantive Chairperson of the AU in 2027, making any external endorsement or exchange redundant.

In conclusion, Asafo-Adjei Ayeh labeled the Foreign Affairs Minister’s decision as a major diplomatic miscalculation, stemming from a “lack of understanding of the institutional processes of ECOWAS and the AU.” He contended that, but for this oversight, Ghana “would have secured both positions,” implying that the country could have held both the ECOWAS Commission Presidency and the AU Chairmanship. He further warned that such actions could lead to long-term diplomatic and institutional implications, potentially weakening Ghana’s influence within ECOWAS and the broader African diplomatic landscape.