We dare you to choose a female running mate – Majority Leader tells NPP

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has called on the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to nominate a woman as its running mate, saying it would show genuine commitment to gender equality in Ghana’s political landscape.

Ayariga, who also represents the Bawku Central constituency, made the suggestion during a session in Parliament on Tuesday, July 2, 2025. His remarks came in response to earlier claims by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who accused the current administration of sidelining qualified women in government appointments.

Refuting the allegations, Ayariga pointed out that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had already demonstrated its dedication to women’s empowerment by selecting Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as President Mahama’s running mate in the 2024 elections. That historic decision ultimately led to her becoming Ghana’s first female Vice President.

“We, the NDC, can only go forward,” Ayariga stated, drawing applause from Members of Parliament. He used the moment to challenge the NPP to follow the NDC’s example by choosing a woman to partner its flagbearer in the next general elections.

He also advised the NPP to actively support female candidates in their party by allowing them to contest unopposed in so-called “safe seats”—especially in stronghold regions like the Ashanti Region. Ayariga suggested the NDC could also adopt a similar strategy in its stronghold, the Volta Region, to ensure greater female representation in Parliament.

According to him, increasing the number of women in Parliament is one way to create a broader pool of qualified candidates for ministerial appointments.

Turning directly to the Minority Leader, Ayariga accused him of inconsistency on the gender issue. He pointed out that during the NPP’s time in power, Afenyo-Markin had failed to protect female Members of Parliament, many of whom lost their seats during internal primaries and the general elections.

“Now, the Minority Leader has suddenly become a gender champion, when, as a Majority Leader in government, he could not protect the seats of his female MPs in the last elections and lost most of them… dzi wo fie asem,” he said, using a popular Akan phrase that translates as “mind your own business.” His comment was met with laughter and cheers from both sides of the House.

Earlier in the day, Afenyo-Markin had criticized President Mahama, accusing him of failing to meet his campaign pledge of appointing at least 30 percent of Cabinet positions from among women.

“We have women MPs on the majority side of the House who have the requisite credentials to be ministers, but they have been relegated to the background,” he claimed.

He further alleged that only 28 women had been appointed as Chief Executives of the various metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies, which he argued was a poor reflection of the President’s promise on women’s participation in governance.

Ayariga’s remarks have sparked fresh debate over the representation of women in politics, as both the NDC and the NPP face increasing public pressure to back their rhetoric on gender equity with real action.