PARLIAMENT’S ‘MAKE-OR-BREAK’ MOMENT: Dr. Draman Warns Privileges Probe Could Expose House’s Weak Spots.
Dr. Rasheed Draman, the Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), says he is actively following and excitedly expecting the results of the Privileges Committee’s investigation into Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin. Dr. Draman remarked on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Thursday, November 27, that the case is a significant test of how accountable parliament is. “We have reached a point where the Privileges Committee has stepped in. I’m excited to see what happens… He stated, “I’m excited to see what this committee will do.” His remarks came after Afenyo-Markin was found guilty of contempt of Parliament and sent to the Privileges Committee right away. The recommendation comes after claims that he repeatedly ignored a formal legislative resolution to take him out of Ghana’s mission to the ECOWAS Parliament. Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga said that Minority Leader Mahama Ayariga went against Parliament by going to the ECOWAS Parliament session in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, from September 25 to 28, 2025, even though he had been told not to go. In response to the news, Dr. Draman said he was cautiously hopeful, but he also pointed out that Parliament has not always been consistent in how it handles these kinds of situations. “Over the years, people have broken the rules of Parliament and the Constitution.” They went to the Privileges Committee, and we never heard from them again. He went on to say, “That’s almost like, if you want to kill the matter, you take it there.” Dr. Draman also said that the committee will be quite split, even though the Speaker told members to follow the Constitution and defend the House’s integrity.
