Crusade To Kill OSP: Minority Goes After Ayariga, Dafeamekpor

The Minority in Parliament has said there is something fishy about the recent incident where the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Mahama Ayariga introduced a Bill in Parliament only for him to be instructed days later by the President and Leader of Government himself, John Mahama, to withdraw the Bill.

The said Bill was jointly sponsored on December 8 by Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga and Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Nelson Este Kwami Deafeamekpor and sough to get Parliament to repeal the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) Act, 2017 (Act 959) and completely abolish the anti-corruption Office entirely.

A statement signed Habib Iddrisu, First Deputy Minority Whip on behalf of the Caucus describd President Mahama’s call on Ayariga and Dafeamekpor to withdraw the Bill as a “a devastating public rebuke and embarrassment”

The statement said “the Minority is deeply alarmed that this crusade to kill the OSP appears provoked by the Office’s recent arrest of Martin Kpebu, a staunch OSP critic and widely regarded NDC loyalist. Are we to believe it mere coincidence that the arrest of one politically connected individual triggered an immediate legislative move to dismantle an entire anti-corruption institution?

“Even more disturbing, news of this Bill coincided with Deputy Attorney-General Justice Sai’s Facebook announcement of a Supreme Court challenge to Act 959’s constitutionality. In his post, he stated: “I can confirm that a citizen – Noah E. Tetteh – has sued the Attorney-General in Supreme Court suit number J1/3/2026… HIS RELIEF: An order to strike down … the provisions of Act 959 that confer autonomous prosecutorial authority on the Office of the Special Prosecutor… Da yie”.

“The timing is damning: Kpebu’s arrest, followed immediately by a legislative Bill to abolish the OSP and a constitutional challenge filed simultaneously. Is this a coordinated, multi-pronged assault on an independent anti-corruption institution by NDC operatives angered by one politically inconvenient arrest?”, the statement added.

The statement noted that “Hon Ayariga and Hon Dafeamekpor must resign now” on the basis that “when parliamentary leaders lose Presidential confidence through unauthorised conduct apparently driven by partisan loyalty to an arrested individual, resignation is not optional, it is imperative.”

The statement continued:

The NPP’s Record: A Study in Contrast

The Minority reminds Ghanaians that the OSP was established under the NPP administration. The Office arrested several NPP members during our tenure, causing significant political discomfort.

Yet never did the Nana Addo government attempt to kill the Office, no matter how much we disagreed with aspects of their work. We respected institutional independence even when politically painful.

This stands in stark contrast to the NDC’s apparent response to a single arrest: a legislative Bill to abolish the Office and a simultaneous constitutional challenge. The contrast reveals everything about our respective commitments to the rule of law and institutional independence.

A Fundamental Breach of Trust and Fitness for Office

Hon Ayariga and Hon Dafeamekpor are not backbenchers exercising legislative discretion. They are the President’s principal parliamentary lieutenants, charged with translating his policy into legislative action. Their attempt to dismantle an institution the President was simultaneously praising represents either spectacular incompetence or deliberate insubordination – possibly both.

That they apparently did so in reaction to a political ally’s arrest, and possibly as part of a coordinated assault on prosecutorial independence, demonstrates fundamental unfitness for the offices they hold.

The Presidential intervention requiring withdrawal confirms this initiative was unauthorised, ill-conceived, contradicted Government policy, and was potentially driven by partisan loyalty to an arrested individual over national interest.

The Damage Inflicted

This debacle has caused grave and lasting damage across multiple fronts:

Ghana’s anti-corruption credibility has been severely compromised, sending a chilling signal to the international community and development partners that independent institutions may be targeted for dismantling when they arrest politically connected individuals;

Prosecutorial independence has been undermined by the establishment of a dangerous precedent that lawful prosecutorial action may provoke coordinated legislative and judicial retaliation from aggrieved political interests;

Government policy coherence has been shattered, exposing a fundamental disconnect between the President’s stated commitment to strengthening anti-corruption institutions and the actions of his own parliamentary leadership;

Ghana’s democratic reputation has suffered significant harm, particularly when contrasted with the NPP’s principled protection of OSP independence even at considerable political cost to our party; and

The rule of law itself has been called into question, with Ghanaians now legitimately asking whether independent institutions can function without fear of legislative or judicial assault when their work proves politically inconvenient to the governing party.

Resignation is Imperative

Hon Ayariga and Hon Dafeamekpor have lost the President’s confidence, as evidenced by his public repudiation. They can no longer credibly represent his interests or prosecute Government business. Their continued occupation of these offices is untenable.

We call upon them to resign from the leadership of the House immediately to:

* Restore coherence between Presidential policy and parliamentary leadership;

* Demonstrate accountability for unauthorised conduct that contradicted Government policy and potentially compromised prosecutorial independence;

* Reassure Ghanaians that anti-corruption institutions will not face coordinated attacks when they arrest politically connected individuals;

* Distance the President from this apparent coordinated assault on the OSP; and

* Allow reconstitution of parliamentary leadership with persons who respect institutional independence.

Conclusion

The NPP protected the OSP even when politically painful. The NDC’s apparent coordinated response to one arrest – attempted legislative abolition and constitutional challenge – represents a dangerous assault on institutional independence and the rule of law.