Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has criticised some Minority MPs for wearing face masks and disrupting proceedings in Parliament, describing their actions as “cowardly” and “shameful.”
Speaking on the AM show on Wednesday, Mahama Ayariga said such behaviour undermines the dignity of the House and the country’s commitment to the rule of law.
“This is the country of the rule of law. We believe in the rule of law,” he said. “Why are you wearing face masks and disrupting parliamentary proceedings? This is very, very shameful… that you wear face masks and come into the chamber as faceless people and be rude.”
He questioned why MPs who claim to be acting on principle would conceal their identities in the chamber, insisting that those convinced of their stance should have no reason to hide.
“If you have the courage of conviction of what you are doing, and you are convinced you are right, why wear face masks and be rowdy in Parliament?” he asked.
Mahama Ayariga’s comments come after parliamentary business was thrown into turmoil on Tuesday when Minority MPs demanded that the House be adjourned.
This followed Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to defer his ruling on the disputed Kpandai parliamentary seat.
Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh argued that no government business should proceed until the matter was resolved. But the Speaker ruled—after a voice vote—that sittings would continue.
The Minority responded by chanting and attempting to disrupt the session, prompting a heated standoff between both sides of the House.
Earlier in the day, tensions escalated when the Minority blocked Mahama Ayariga from responding to demands for the withdrawal of a December 4, 2025, letter from the Clerk to Parliament.
The letter formally notified Electoral Commission Chairperson Jean Mensa of a vacancy in the Kpandai Constituency, following a High Court order for a rerun of the 2024 election.
Mahama Ayariga maintained that disorderly conduct—particularly by MPs obscuring their identities—sets a dangerous precedent for Ghana’s democracy.
“If we start allowing this, we’ll be destroying the democracy,” he warned.
Parliament is expected to reconvene as leadership on both sides strategises on the next steps regarding the Kpandai rerun and the disruptions in the chamber.