{"id":2881,"date":"2026-08-27T18:56:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T18:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/?p=2881"},"modified":"2026-08-27T18:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T18:56:09","slug":"afenyo-markin-leads-minority-walkout-from-supreme-court-vetting-accuses-majority-of-abandoning-2024-principles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/index.php\/afenyo-markin-leads-minority-walkout-from-supreme-court-vetting-accuses-majority-of-abandoning-2024-principles\/","title":{"rendered":"Afenyo-Markin leads Minority walkout from Supreme Court vetting, accuses Majority of abandoning 2024 principles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Clement Akoloh<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accra, August 27, 2026 \u2014 Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has led members of the Minority Caucus on the Appointments Committee to walk out of the vetting of Supreme Court nominees, accusing the Majority of abandoning parliamentary principles it defended while in opposition.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walkout followed a disagreement over the procedure being used by the Committee to proceed with the vetting of the nominees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Afenyo-Markin insisted that the Minority was not opposed to the nominees but was challenging what he described as an improper process that was inconsistent with established parliamentary practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the way to treat your ranking. That\u2019s not the way to treat your ranking. No. I\u2019m not in the majority. We are only asking you to respect your own principles. Your principles in 2024 and nothing more,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He accused the Majority of selectively applying principles it had previously championed when it was in opposition, arguing that those principles should not become irrelevant simply because the political circumstances had changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you insist, because you are the majority, the very things that you said when you were in opposition, they are no more relevant. And under Reset you have set in place a new rule,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Discrimination jurisprudence\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minority Leader also rejected an argument of discrimination reportedly advanced in support of the Majority\u2019s position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He accused Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga of invoking the authority of the Chief Justice and constitutional or parliamentary jurisprudence selectively when confronted with difficult procedural questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis argument of discrimination that you have discovered is again serving your convenience,\u201d Mr. Afenyo-Markin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further alleged that the Majority Leader had developed what he sarcastically described as \u201cdiscrimination jurisprudence\u201d by relying on the Chief Justice in circumstances where it suited the Majority\u2019s position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to him, the Chairman of the Appointments Committee did not possess the authority to make the kind of determination being sought in the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know that there is no set power given to the Chairman to make a ruling. You know it,\u201d he argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He described the development as unfair and improper, insisting that the Minority’s position was based on parliamentary procedure rather than an attempt to frustrate the nominees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChairman, what is happening is unfair. It is improper,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018We cannot be part\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Afenyo-Markin subsequently announced that the Minority would not participate in the process under the procedure adopted by the Majority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are sorry. We cannot be part,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He, however, made it clear that the Minority’s decision to walk out should not be interpreted as opposition to the Supreme Court nominees themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo the nominees, with regard to you, we respect you and we are not opposed to your nomination, but the process being used by the Majority is not known to the parliamentary jurisprudence that we all know,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minority Leader’s comments brought the Committee’s proceedings to a dramatic point as Minority members left the vetting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dispute adds a fresh procedural dimension to the ongoing parliamentary consideration of the Supreme Court nominations, with the Minority maintaining that the Majority must adhere to principles and procedures it itself defended before assuming power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Majority, however, maintains its position on the procedure and the interpretation of the relevant parliamentary principles, setting the stage for further debate over the powers of the Appointments Committee and its leadership in handling preliminary procedural objections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: parliamentnews360.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has led members of the Minority Caucus on the Appointments Committee to walk out of the vetting of Supreme Court nominees, accusing the Majority of abandoning parliamentary principles it defended while in opposition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,1],"tags":[153,327,1371,1702],"class_list":{"0":"post-2881","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-news","8":"category-news","9":"tag-alexander-kwamena-afenyo-markin","10":"tag-appointment-committee","11":"tag-hon-bernard-ahiafor","12":"tag-minority-walkout-on-justices"},"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n