Patrick Boamah withdraws from Pan-African Parliament delegation

Ghana’s Parliament has named a new delegation to the Pan-African Parliament, but Okaikwei Central MP, Patrick Yaw Boamah, has withdrawn a day after being listed as an observer.

The delegation, adopted by the House on 22nd July 2025, includes Bernard Ahiafor as leader, with Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Collins Dauda, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, and Frank Annoh-Dompreh as members. Boamah was assigned as an observer, a non-participatory role that allows attendance at sessions without the right to vote or contribute to deliberations.

In a statement dated 23rd July, Boamah informed the Speaker of Parliament of his decision to withdraw. He explained that after consulting the Pan-African Parliament Secretariat, it became clear that observers are not allowed to speak during plenary or take part in committee work. He described the role as ineffective and said accepting it could lead to embarrassment for both Parliament and the country.

“I humbly withdraw from the delegation as an observer to avoid any potential embarrassment to the Parliament of Ghana and Ghanaians as a whole,” Boamah wrote.

He also raised concerns about the fairness of the selection process. Citing Parliament’s 68:32 formula for allocating committee and delegation slots between the Majority and Minority sides, Boamah argued that the Minority should have received two full member positions. He pointed to Ghana’s ECOWAS Parliament delegation, where the formula was respected, as a precedent.

The Pan-African Parliament, based in South Africa, is the legislative arm of the African Union. Each member state is allowed to appoint five MPs, with full members actively involved in debates, voting, and committee work. Observers are restricted to sitting in on sessions without the ability to participate.

Parliament has not yet announced whether Boamah will be replaced or whether the delegation will be reviewed in light of the concerns he raised