Tensions flared during a contentious session of the Appointments Committee on Thursday, January 30, 2025, as members of the Majority and Minority Caucuses clashed over the continuation of vetting for ministerial nominees.
The heated confrontation escalated to the point where tables and microphones were destroyed, prompting police intervention to restore order and prevent further violence.
The disagreement began when the Majority insisted on continuing the vetting session beyond 10 PM, despite objections from the Minority, who declared they were done for the day. Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin addressed the media, explaining that both parties had originally agreed to vet only three nominees.
However, after an additional nominee was added to the list, the Minority agreed to vet four in total.
According to him, after completing the vetting of the fourth nominee, the Majority unexpectedly introduced two more individuals for consideration, which led to the chaos.
“We agreed to vet four nominees, not six,” Afenyo-Markin said. “The Majority’s sudden move to parade two more nominees after we had already finished, and this caused the confusion and disruption,” he explained.
As tensions reached a boiling point, security in the conference room was heightened.
The Minority held firm in its stance, insisting that no further nominees should be vetted on that day.
After a brief meeting between Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga and Afenyo-Markin, the former addressed the press, announcing that the vetting process would resume on Friday, January 31, 2025, at the Speaker’s lobby.
He added that the committee’s equipment had been damaged during the altercation, making it impossible to continue the session in the committee’s rooms.
The intervention of the police helped diffuse the immediate threat of violence, but the damage to the committee’s infrastructure and the tense political atmosphere highlighted the deepening divisions between the Majority and Minority factions.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House